Your Alexa device might turn on unexpectedly because of an Alexa routine – or because it mistakenly heard the word ‘Alexa’. In some cases, it might be because your neighbor has erroneously connected to your Alexa device.
Does your Alexa device turn on without any reason at all? Fret not because it’s not due to some paranormal event. There are 3 logical reasons why your Alexa has turned on by itself.
Why Does Alexa Come On By Itself?
Your device might ‘wake up’ unexpectedly due to:
- An Alexa routine you might have forgotten
- A misheard ‘Alexa’ call (coming from the TV, radio, or any other device)
- A neighbor connecting to your Alexa device
To confirm, you need to test your Alexa for any of these 3 reasons.
To do so, make sure to read the chapters below on troubleshooting (and preventing) your Alexa from turning on unexpectedly.
Alexa Routine
Your Alexa may turn on because you’ve set up a routine. For example, you might have fixed it to play music at a certain time or destination.
It’s okay, we all go through that phase.
If you’re unsure (or have forgotten) about this routine, you can check it by:
- Going to the Alexa app
- Tapping on the icon located at the top left corner (it’s shaped like a hamburger)
- Clicking on Settings
- Tapping the option Routines
- Checking for routines that are out of the ordinary
Should you find something peculiar, all you need to do is delete or edit that routine.
Connected Neighbor
Your neighbor might have mistakenly connected a device to your Alexa device. You can’t blame him as he may have thought that he’s pairing with his Alexa.
To check for this mistaken pairing, you need to:
- Open the Alexa app on your device
- Search for ‘Devices’ and click on ‘Echo and Alexa’
By doing this, you’ll see the devices paired to your Alexa device. If you notice one that isn’t yours, it’s safe to say that it could be your neighbor’s device.
To remove this paired device, you need to:
- Open the Alexa app.
- Click ‘Devices’.
- Click ‘Echo and Alexa’.
- Choose Alexa.
- Click on ‘Bluetooth Devices’.
- Click on the device you want to unpair and choose ‘Forget Device’.
Sadly, this will not prevent your neighbor from connecting to your Alexa device once again. That said, you may need to do a repeat sweep in case your Alexa turns on unexpectedly again.
Hearing Alexa by Mistake
Alexa is so intuitive that it may think that it heard ‘Alexa’ when in fact, it didn’t. It might come from your TV or radio. Alexa may even interpret your words by mistake.
Should this be the case, you may prevent this from happening by clicking on the mute button on top. That way, it won’t hear the wrong ‘Alexa’ command that wakes it up.
You can also try to place your Alexa far away from sound-making devices, just to prevent it from ‘waking up’ to what it hears.
More Tips:
Apart from following the above-mentioned steps, here are 2 other tips that will prevent your Alexa device from spontaneously turning on:
Set to ‘Do Not Disturb’
If troubleshooting for the 3 causes above doesn’t seem to do the trick, you can seal the deal once and for all by setting your device to ‘Do Not Disturb’.
It’s as easy as going to the ‘Device Settings’ and clicking on ‘Do Not Disturb’.
Toggle the ‘Enabled’ button and see to it that it’s set to all devices.
You can set the ‘Do Not Disturb’ option for a certain period by setting the ‘Until’ button to a specific time.
Remember: You don’t have to worry about your alarm clock as it will still go off even if you have ‘Do Not Disturb’ up until your waking time.
Finish this setting by clicking Next. This will take you to the ‘New Routine’ window. Don’t forget to click on ‘Save’ lest you want to repeat this set-up all over again.
Tip: If you want the ‘Do Not Disturb’ setting to turn on nightly, click the ‘Schedule’ button. Here, you can set the routine’s start time – as well as the days you want it turned on.
Hit Factory Reset
If your Alexa still keeps on turning on for no valid reason, then it’s time for you to hit the ‘Factory Reset’ button. What you need to do here is:
- Go to the ‘Devices’ option.
- Click on the Alexa icon on top.
- Choose the device you wish to reset.
- Click the ‘Factory Reset’ option and confirm it.
If your Alexa device turns on unexpectedly during peculiar times, you don’t have to worry. Just check for any of the 3 reasons stated above. If all else fails, you can set a ‘Do Not Disturb’ routine or just hit on the factory reset button.
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