Alexa Won’t Connect to Wi-Fi: How to Fix
Alexa is a powerful voice assistant, but it needs a network connection to work. Here’s what to try when Alexa won’t connect to Wi-Fi.
Some devices have such a big impact they become part of the culture. It’s fair to say that since the first Amazon Echo was launched, few people on the planet haven’t at least heard of Alexa, and many of us talk to her daily.
We can become quite reliant on Alexa, from controlling smart home devices and making video calls to asking about the weather or listening to music. All of this means that when Alexa stops working, it can be a big deal.
If you can’t get your Echo device online, then here are a few things to try when Alexa won’t connect to Wi-Fi.
Test Your Internet Connection
The first thing to try if you’re having problems with any gadget failing to connect to Wi-Fi is to check that there’s a Wi-Fi connection to be found. If your Wi-Fi is down, Alexa won’t be the only thing that isn’t able to get online.
The quickest thing to do is grab your phone, tablet, or computer, connect it to the same Wi-Fi network as your Alexa device, and do a quick web search. If you can access websites on your mobile or computer, then you know that you’ve got a working Wi-Fi connection, and the cause must be something else.
If you can’t connect to the internet on your phone or computer, however, then the problem is with the internet connection, and you should try the next suggestion.
Restart Your Router
There are two likely causes of your Wi-Fi going down. Either your internet service provider is having problems and is currently unable to connect your property to the internet, or there’s a problem with your router.
You can’t do anything about the former problem other than wait until the issue is fixed. But restarting your router may solve your issues if the router is the cause. The simplest way to do so is to power down your router, wait a minute or so, and then start it up again. It’s likely to take a while for your router to start up and set up your Wi-Fi network, so wait a few minutes more, then try connecting to your Wi-Fi network on your phone or other device. If everything is once again working as expected, try your Alexa device again to see if you can now connect to Wi-Fi.
Check the Wi-Fi Settings for Your Echo Device
Another reason that your Echo device may not be connecting to Wi-Fi is that it’s set up for the wrong network, or with the wrong password. If you’ve changed your Wi-Fi network or changed your Wi-Fi password, then you’ll need to be sure that Alexa has the correct details, or it won’t be able to connect to the internet.
How to Change the Wi-Fi Settings for an Echo Device
You can change the Wi-Fi settings for an Echo device directly through the Alexa app. You’ll need to make the changes for every device that has outdated Wi-Fi settings.
- Open the Alexa app.
- Tap Devices in the menu at the bottom of the screen.
- Select Echo & Alexa.
- Choose your Alexa device.
- Tap the Settings icon in the top right of the screen.
- Tap Change next to Wi-Fi Network.
- Select a previously connected network or tap Join Another Wi-Fi Network.
- Enter the credentials for your chosen network.
- Your Alexa device is now connected to the Wi-Fi network you chose.
Move Your Echo Device Closer to Your Router
Modern routers can provide strong Wi-Fi signals over large areas, but they have their limits. You’ll probably know the areas in your own home that have weaker signal. If your Echo device is in one of these areas, this may be the cause of your issues; your Echo doesn’t have a strong enough Wi-Fi connection.
You can test this by moving your Echo device closer to your router and seeing if the problem goes away. If it does, and you want to keep your Echo in its original position, you should consider investing in a Wi-Fi extender or mesh network to improve Wi-Fi coverage in your home.
Try Switching Network Bands
Many routers offer dual-band support that can broadcast your Wi-Fi over both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Each band has its benefits; 2.4GHz offers wider coverage, but 5GHz offers faster speeds.
With many routers you can choose to split your Wi-Fi into two distinct networks; a 2.4GHz network, and a 5GHz network. You’ll see both options appear in the list of available Wi-Fi networks when you try to connect. If this is the case in your home, try connecting to the other band.
For example, if your Echo is connected to the 5GHz band, try connecting it to the 2.4GHz band instead, and vice versa, following the steps in the section above to connect to a different network. You may find that switching bands will solve your Alexa Wi-Fi problems.
Restart Your Echo Device
It’s a cliché for a reason; if your tech isn’t working, try turning it off and on again. Restarting your Echo device may reset whatever was causing your network connection and allow you to get Alexa working again. For most Echo devices, restarting will simply be a case of powering your device off, waiting for a few seconds, and then powering it back on again.
Turn Off Other Connected Devices
As the years go by, we tend to add more and more connected devices to our homes. Our light bulbs become smart light bulbs, our plugs become smart plugs, and before you know it, we have a large number of devices all fighting for their share of the Wi-Fi.
If you have a large number of connected devices, try turning the majority of them off and seeing if this improves your Echo Wi-Fi connection. If it does, you may need to consider upgrading your router or investing in a Wi-Fi extender or mesh network to keep all your connected devices happy.
Reset Your Echo Device
If nothing else works, you can try factory resetting your Alexa device. This will remove all of your settings and personal information, so you should only do this as a last resort, as you’ll need to set everything up again from scratch.
The method for resetting your Echo device will depend on the device you’re using. Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for details on how to perform a factory reset.
Do More With Alexa
If Alexa won’t connect to Wi-Fi, hopefully, one of the fixes above can help. If you find any other useful ways to fix Alexa Wi-Fi problems, then please let us know in the comments below.
Alexa has come a long way since it first burst onto the scene, and there’s a lot you may not realize that it is capable of. For example, if you have a Roku streaming device, you can control your Roku with Alexa. This allows you to launch channels, play and pause content, or even search for movies and shows, all using your voice. It makes things a lot easier than having to type in the name of a show on the tiny remote.
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