Does your Alexa device sometimes make odd, unexplainable beeping noises? You’re not alone! Some Alexa users say that their device is beeping for no clear reason.
Why does Alexa make a beeping noise? Some reasons for this could be:
- The device thought that a background sound or voice was its wake-up word.
- The device is in brief mode.
- You are getting messages, calls, or notifications on your device.
- The volume level is being changed.
- The “Do Not Disturb” feature is turned on and off.
- The battery is almost dead.
- Alexa has trouble getting connected to Wi-Fi.
Here are some more reasons why your Alexa might be doing these things, as well as specific troubleshooting steps to help you stop Alexa from beeping.
Your Alexa Thought You Used Its Wake-up Word Even Though You Didn’t.
Alexa devices often have “wake-up” words or phrases that, when heard, make the device “wake up” and start listening for questions or commands. Alexa will often beep to let you know she is listening and ready for a command when she thinks she has heard a wake-up word. When she is listening, she will often glow blue. This is probably the most common reason why you might hear random beeps while talking or watching TV.
Fix: Most devices, like the Amazon Echo Dot, have a button on top that you can press to turn off the microphone. This will stop Alexa from hearing any sounds, but it’s easy to turn it back on when you’re done doing something where she might often confuse words for her wake-up word or phrase.
Alexa’s “Brief Mode” Is enabled
Amazon has given their Alexa the ability to respond to certain commands with things other than speech. This may be turned on by default when you first use your Alexa. When you give Alexa a command, these non-speech responses are simple beeps that replace responses like “OK.”
Fix: You can turn off brief mode by going to the settings page in your Alexa app. This will stop Alexa from giving you beeps. Instead, when you give her a command, she will only say something like “OK.”
Your Alexa Has Received A Notification
If you have notifications turned on for your Alexa device, it may make a beeping sound when it gets a message, like when your Amazon order has shipped or arrived.
Fix: If you no longer want to get notifications through your Alexa, open the Alexa app on your phone and go to Settings > Notifications. From this page, you can change notifications for different apps or Amazon notifications.
You Have A Message
Alexa not only lets you send messages, but it also lets you get them. When Alexa gets a message, she might beep and flash yellow lights to let you know. If you say, “Alexa, read my messages,” she will read the message to you.
Fix: To get rid of the message alert, ask Alexa to read your messages. But if you get another message, it could happen again. If you don’t want your Alexa device to send or receive messages, go to the Communications section of your Alexa app and turn off the “Calling & Messaging” feature.
You Have A Call
Alexa lets you send and receive messages, and it also lets you get phone calls. When Alexa gets a phone call, she will make a beeping sound and light up green. From here, you can just say “Alexa, take the call” or “Alexa, answer the call” to get Alexa to answer the call.
Fix: To get rid of the call notification, ask Alexa to take the call. But if you get another call, it could happen again. If you don’t want to get calls on your Alexa device, you can turn off the “Calling & Messaging” feature in the “Communications” section of your Alexa app.
Your Alexa Device’s Volume Is Currently Being Adjusted
When you turn up or down the volume on your Alexa, she will glow white and make beeping sounds to let you know where her volume is.
Fix: Keep an eye out for kids, pets, or anything else that could accidentally touch the Alexa device and turn up the volume by pressing the buttons. Check to see if any of the buttons are stuck in the “on” position. If your Alexa device is blinking white and changing the volume for no apparent reason, you should call Amazon customer service right away. This could be a sign of a security problem, like your Alexa being hacked.
The Do-not-disturb Function Is Being Turned On Or Turned Off
This function stops your device from telling you about things like calls or messages (although it will not block alarms or timers). When you tell Alexa to turn on or off this feature, she will make a musical beeping sound, light up purple, and tell you that she has done what you asked.
Fix: In your Alexa app, you can turn this feature on or off by selecting your device and clicking “Do Not Disturb.”
Your Alexa Device’s Battery Is Low
Some Alexa battery devices, like the Echo battery base, have batteries built in so that you can move them around your home. When these devices’ batteries are getting low, they may beep to let you know.
Fix: This problem should go away if you charge the battery on your device. If it doesn’t, make sure the noise isn’t coming from something else.
Alexa Cannot Connect To Your Internet
This could happen if your Wi-Fi goes out or if Alexa has trouble connecting to it. Alexa will beep, flash red, and tell you she can’t connect to the Wi-Fi when this happens.
Fix: Open the Alexa app and look at your Wi-Fi settings. If it is really disconnected from your Wi-Fi, check your router to make sure it is working properly. Then, go back to your Alexa app and try to reconnect it to your Wi-Fi. If Alexa still can’t connect to your Wi-Fi, you can try unplugging your router, reconnecting it, and then trying to connect Alexa again.
Alexa Is In Setup Mode
When Alexa goes into setup mode, it waits for you to set up the Wi-Fi with the Alexa app. When this happens, the orange light on your Alexa device will start to spin, and you will hear a beep. Alexa will then tell you that she is in setup mode.
Fix: Check that your Wi-Fi is set up right by going into the Alexa app. If it isn’t, change your Wi-Fi settings in the app until the orange light stops spinning and Alexa is connected.
Wrapping Up
Most of the time, when your Alexa device beeps, it’s because of one of the above problems, especially if Alexa thinks another sound is her wake-up word. But if none of these fixes work for your Alexa device, you might want to contact Amazon’s customer service to see if they can help you figure out what’s wrong.
It doesn’t happen often, but your Alexa device could be hacked, which is a huge privacy risk for your home. If you think that your Alexa device has been hacked, you should unplug it until you can get a new one.