Alexa announcements not working? What to check

⚡ Fast fix

• Try another Echo. If one speaker stays quiet, the problem may be with that device—not Announcements.
• Check Do Not Disturb. An Echo™ that’s blocking interruptions may not play announcements.
• Make sure it’s online. Alexa® can’t announce anything through a speaker it can’t reach.
• Still getting the silent treatment?
  Get 24/7 expert support for the tech you rely on.

Alexa™ Announcements are handy when yelling “Dinner!” across the house has lost its charm. So when an announcement plays in the kitchen but skips the bedroom—or doesn’t play anywhere—it’s worth checking a few things before recreating the whole smart home setup.

Asurion Experts help people get more out of their devices every day. Here’s how to get Alexa Announcements talking to the right speakers again.

See which Echo is staying quiet

Send a test announcement and pay attention to where it plays. If most of the house hears it but one Echo doesn’t, leave the devices that are working alone and focus on the quiet one.

Try asking that Echo a question or playing music through it. If Alexa responds normally, you know the speaker itself is working and can move on to its settings. If Alexa struggles with everything, our guide to fixing Alexa when it’s not responding is a better place to start.

Check Do Not Disturb

Open the Alexa app, tap Devices, select the Echo that isn’t receiving announcements, and check Do Not Disturb. Turn it off temporarily and send another announcement.

If that fixes it, check whether a Do Not Disturb schedule is turning itself back on later. Otherwise, the same mystery may return tomorrow at exactly the same time.

Make sure the Echo is connected

When one Echo disappears from announcements and also starts responding slowly, dropping music, or showing as offline in the Alexa app, Wi-Fi moves much higher on our list.

Restart that Echo first. If it still can’t stay connected, check whether other devices in the same room have a weak signal too. Our guide to fixing Alexa when it won’t connect to Wi-Fi walks through the connection checks if the problem goes beyond Announcements.

Check the device in the Alexa app

If an Echo was recently moved, renamed, reset, or added back to the account, take a look at how it appears in the Alexa app.

Open Devices, select the Echo, and make sure it’s registered to the Amazon account and household you expect. Old or duplicate devices are worth cleaning up too, especially if you’ve replaced an Echo but kept a similar device name.

Then send another test announcement rather than changing several settings at once. That way you’ll actually know what fixed it.

Restart the Echo that’s missing announcements

If everything looks right in the app but one speaker still refuses to join in, unplug that Echo for about 30 seconds and reconnect it. Give Alexa time to come back online, then try another announcement.

When every Echo misses the announcement rather than just one, restart the router too. A problem affecting the whole group makes the network or Alexa service more likely than four speakers suddenly developing the same issue at once.

Check for software updates

Echo devices normally update themselves, so there’s no reason to obsess over version numbers. But if one speaker consistently behaves differently from the others, we’d make sure it hasn’t fallen behind.

Ask, “Alexa, check for software updates.” You can also use our guide to checking your Echo software version and updating Alexa if you want to confirm what’s installed.

FAQ

Why aren’t Alexa announcements working on one Echo?

Check that Echo’s connection and Do Not Disturb setting first. If other speakers receive the announcement, focus on the one that doesn’t.

Does Do Not Disturb block Alexa announcements?

It can affect which interruptions an Echo plays, so it’s worth temporarily turning Do Not Disturb off and testing again.

Why are Alexa announcements not working on all devices?

If every Echo misses them, check the network and make sure the devices are online under the same Alexa setup.

How do I test Alexa Announcements?

Say, “Alexa, announce,” followed by a short test message, then listen for which Echo devices play it.

Should I reset my Echo if announcements stop working?

Not right away. Resetting is better saved for an Echo that’s having broader problems beyond Announcements.