Life is just simple, convenient and comfortable when you have some echo buds. Once you purchase your echo buds, just tuck them in your ears and get Alexa to do everything for you. From helping you make an important phone call to playing your favourite music, Alexa is your able assistant. 

Well, sometimes, things may not necessarily go according to plan. This isn’t a surprise considering that tech products are known for having problems here and there. The good thing about echo buds problems is that no matter the problem you face, a quick solution isn’t far away. Even more impressive is the fact that you can perform the diagnostics yourself and fix the problem yourself! 

Undoubtedly, the most common problem for echo buds is unresponsiveness, which can also include music not playing on Echo Buds. This may affect both earbuds or just one of them. Unresponsiveness can be caused by different factors. These are exposed and explored below together with their quick fix solutions. 

Potential Causes and Quick Fixes for Alexa not responding on Echo Buds 

• Proper Fit: One of the major challenges that lead to a break (or staggering) of communication between Alexa and the echo buds is hardware issues. To diagnose if this is the case, you simply need to borrow a friend’s device and connect the echo buds. If the echo buds work perfectly with another device, then it means the buds aren’t a proper fit with your device. As such, you will need to either use a different device with the echo buds or go for another set. If the echo buds still don’t work with other devices, then you need to approach Amazon and request to use the warranty service. 

• Bluetooth Not Connected: The connection between Alexa and your echo buds is established via a Bluetooth connection. As such, if your commands aren’t reaching Alexa, you may need to check if the Bluetooth connection is active. If not, then turn it on. Also, on this, it’s important to keep your phone and the echo buds within the connection range. The recommended range to stay in is 30 feet.  

• Alexa App must be Open: Sometimes, in the haste to enjoy the convenience brought about by Alexa and the echo buds, you may forget to open the Alexa app first. As such, you need to check if the app is running or not. 

• Update to the Latest Firmware: Amazon frequently releases the latest firmware for all its products including the echo buds. Sometimes, when the latest firmware is released, you should quickly upgrade to continue using your buds without any problems. Luckily for you, every time you tuck in your echo buds in their case while connected to the internet, they automatically install new updates. If you however tuck your echo buds in their case when not connected to the internet, you may miss the important updates hence causing some problems. It’s recommended therefore to always tuck the echo buds in their case while connected to the internet.   

• Phone Volume: Something as obvious as volume can actually give you stress. You can only hear Alexa speak when your device’s volume is audible. As such, it’s important to always check if your device’s volume is audible. 

• Check that Buds are Not Muted: Another common challenge which you may overlook pertains to muted echo buds. You can personally mute the buds or unknowingly do so when handling your device. To ensure that your echo buds are muted or not, you should open the Alexa App. Proceed to select the ‘Devices’ tab at the bottom of the screen. Go on to select the ‘All Devices’ option and then select the ‘Echo Buds’ in the dropdown list. Once you do, you can check if the buds are currently active or muted. Proceed to change the settings accordingly if there is a need to do so. 

• Check Alexa Wake Word is on: Just like we humans do, Alexa sometimes go to sleep. When she sleeps, you have to wake her up before giving her your commands. If you aren’t hearing Alexa on the other end of the connection, you may attempt to wake her up by using any one of the wake words. The wake words you may use include ‘Ziggy’, ‘Amazon’, ‘Computer’, ‘Echo’ or even call her by her name ‘Alexa’. 

• Check You Have Wi-Fi Connection or Data: The Alexa app runs in the background but it only does so when connected to the internet. As such, to ensure that the app is running smoothly, you should have an active and stable internet connection. The type of connection is not a problem. Whether it’s a dial-up, Wi-Fi or mobile data, all you simply need is an active connection. 

• Soft Reset: If you try any of the above but with no success, you may need to do a soft reset. To do the soft reset, just tuck your echo buds safely back into the charging case. Wait for a minute and then take them out and try to establish a connection once more. 

• Factory Reset: If the soft reset fails to do the trick, then you need to do a factory reset. The first step you need to do is to open the Alexa App. Proceed to select the ‘Devices’ tab at the bottom of the screen and then select the ‘All Devices’ option. Next, select and tap the ‘Echo Buds’ option and scroll down the list and click the ‘Forget Device’ tab. Proceed to open your device’s Bluetooth settings page and unpair the Echo Buds. Once done, tuck your Echo Buds back in the charging case and long-click the reset button (button on the bottom of the case) for 15 seconds. To make sure that the reset is successful, check if the LED light on the case has turned yellow. At this juncture, the reset process is complete and you can now restart connecting your device. 

• Seek the Warranty Service: If you feel you have done your part with no success, you can bring in the experts. Simply reach out to Amazon customer service and they will help sort out the issue. If it’s evident that all the actions taken thus far have born no fruit, you will receive a new pair of Echo Buds as the buds come with a one-year limited warranty.  

Round Up 

Things generally go smooth when connecting Alexa to your echo buds. However, at times you may fail to hear Alexa on the other end of the line. Alexa’s unresponsiveness may be caused by different factors which include hardware problems, firmware problems, inaudible volume on one’s device as well as the lack of active Bluetooth and internet connections. All these problems however can easily be rectified by the user b simply making use of the quick fix solutions provided above.