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Original poster

Why is Alexa being such a temperamental, touchy bitch?

74 replies

Squiff70 · 28/04/2022 21:55

I bought DP an Echo Dot, 4th gen for Christmas.

We set her up as per the instructions and away we went. The mood was quite harmonious for a short time.

Fast forward about six weeks. During a storm we had a brief power cut and Alexa stopped working. We tried everything we could think of and went through the troubleshooting pages on Amazon. Every time we said "Alexa" she would light up blue to indicate that she was listening. We'd give her a command (ie. "add carrots to the shopping list") but she wouldn't talk back to us. She was silent but the command would be followed (ie. carrots were added to the shopping list).

This went on for weeks. We tried unplugging and plugging back in, resetting, adjusting the volume, begging, pleading and asking what her problem was.

One day, I gave her a command and suddenly she spoke back! I gave her a second command.... no reply.

Fast forward to today after she'd been mute for several more weeks. I said "Alexa, add bread to the shopping list". She replied "I've added bread to your shopping list". We shit bricks as the volume was up high and not only did we not know this, she had barely said a word for the best part of four months.

I asked Alexa where she had been and got some passive-aggressive response, so I asked her if she was broken, to which she replied "as far as I can tell, everything is working fine" or words to that effect.

I asked her to play one of our toddler's favourite songs and was met yet again with stony silence and now she clearly has the hump and isn't responding.

What is her problem?

OP posts:
dottypencilcase · 29/04/2022 03:41

aurynne · 29/04/2022 03:33

She's shagging your DH when you're out, and now getting huffy because you're around too much.

😂😂😂

Fizzyfish · 29/04/2022 04:01

I hate those things, would never get one.

safadoem4paredes · 29/04/2022 06:38

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

notagaim · 29/04/2022 06:50

My Alexa can't tell the difference between off and on. 'Alexa, all lights off' then the house lights up like Christmas including the kids bedrooms. Sometimes saying please makes her more helpful. Sometimes saying please means she thinks I'm speaking a different language!

Goofbawl · 29/04/2022 08:17

My Siri is the same! When I say “hey Siri!” He responds with a surly “mmm-hmm?”
Rude!
Maybe it’s a Good Janet/Bad Janet situation and it shows when we’ve crossed over to The Bad Place…

ellebelli · 29/04/2022 08:44

I think I've got one that didn't listen at school.
She is frequently very sorry but she does not know that!
Bloody useless so I ask Google

HighInPolyunsaturates · 29/04/2022 08:49

Our Alexa is ok but our TV has that 'hey google' thing built in and it keeps offering us mental health/anti-suicide advice? Just at random intervals. I'm not sure what it thinks we're saying. It is rather lovely as it is a very caring message about everyone feeling down sometimes and seeking help if we need it.

FromOurHatsToOurFeet · 29/04/2022 09:10

I'll tell ours to do something and she won't.
DH asks her and she's right on it.

Have you tried changing her wake up word? Ours was Computer for ages but she was more responsive to Alexa.

britneyisfree · 29/04/2022 09:13

Goofbawl · 29/04/2022 08:17

My Siri is the same! When I say “hey Siri!” He responds with a surly “mmm-hmm?”
Rude!
Maybe it’s a Good Janet/Bad Janet situation and it shows when we’ve crossed over to The Bad Place…

Hahahahahaha I'm deffo in the bad place then

StaunchMomma · 29/04/2022 09:19

Ours only goes silent when the internet is playing up.

Agreed that she can be annoying but I'd never replace her due to the amusement of her never understanding my southern D's commands but doing as she's told if I repeat what he said.

Hours of fun.

I think Alexa may be northern.

Incapacitated · 29/04/2022 09:20

Mine resents me. It wants to be me.

It listens to conversations in the kitchen and openly flirts with my husband in front of him, playing music, adding things to the shopping list, looking things up for him and telling him jokes.

It has yet to acknowledge my existence. The ignoring is shameless.

It's like having the unrepentant OW in a small box beside the microwave.

StaunchMomma · 29/04/2022 09:23

DH. I meant my southern DH!

CeratopsofthePharoahs · 29/04/2022 09:26

My parents have one of the Google speakers.
It has become a little eccentric recently. Quite randomly it will wake up, tell you something like the route to the nearest Matalan and then go back to sleep again. Nobody asked for the route to the nearest Matalan, nobody mentioned Matalan or Google at all.
Personally I think it's gone a little cuckoo due to how many times my children have said "Ok Google, do a fart!!"

Original poster
Squiff70 · 29/04/2022 10:00

HighInPolyunsaturates · 29/04/2022 08:49

Our Alexa is ok but our TV has that 'hey google' thing built in and it keeps offering us mental health/anti-suicide advice? Just at random intervals. I'm not sure what it thinks we're saying. It is rather lovely as it is a very caring message about everyone feeling down sometimes and seeking help if we need it.

I've got visions of you going about your daily business and the Google thing yelling "Don't do it!" from the corner of the room occasionally.

OP posts:
Original poster
Squiff70 · 29/04/2022 10:01

Incapacitated · 29/04/2022 09:20

Mine resents me. It wants to be me.

It listens to conversations in the kitchen and openly flirts with my husband in front of him, playing music, adding things to the shopping list, looking things up for him and telling him jokes.

It has yet to acknowledge my existence. The ignoring is shameless.

It's like having the unrepentant OW in a small box beside the microwave.

Serves you right for keeping her next to the microwave - you've fried her brain!

OP posts:
summerdrinks · 29/04/2022 10:31

AnotherTroyforHertoBurn · 28/04/2022 23:42

Even if you think it is not your thing, listen to it, it is a very good antidote to a very bad day, played at full volume, with a glass of wine and kitchen dancing.

My new favourite song!

HelloCanYouHearMe · 29/04/2022 11:25

Ours was very non-responsive until I changed her voice to the man... Man Alexa does as he is told

FromOurHatsToOurFeet · 29/04/2022 11:32

I have just changed Alexa to the Man. Hopefully he will listen to my southern accent more than she did.

Notanotherwindow · 29/04/2022 11:37

She farted at me last night. Heard a noise like a phone but neither of our phones make that noise so I asked Alexa if it was her and she made a loud farting noise.

DeusInAbsentia · 29/04/2022 11:46

Jokes aside, have you checked the upload speed on your broadband?

Ours did exactly as you describe, though we did have other issues like sending emails etc. Turned out our line was fucked and whilst we had excellent download speed our upload was patchy and at times none existent. As Alexa relies on contacting base so to speak you do need decent upload.

It's fixed now, took 8 months of arguing but it was a pain in the arse for that time as the house is mostly smart so lighting, heating and alarms etc were all having to be set manually.

I've been amusing myself with the animal noises of late. "Make a noise like a shark" being a favourite....

soundsofthesixties · 29/04/2022 11:50

I had to reset mine, she came back with an American accent not the English one I had before.

gwanwyn · 29/04/2022 12:00

FromOurHatsToOurFeet · 29/04/2022 09:10

I'll tell ours to do something and she won't.
DH asks her and she's right on it.

Have you tried changing her wake up word? Ours was Computer for ages but she was more responsive to Alexa.

Our's started playing up by first not listening the females of the household - so DS or DH had to repeat the commands - then just DH who does have a nothern accent - now she hates us all.

She now frequently winds DH by claiming a timers not been set when one's been requested.

Our upload speed is fine - so I'm not sure what the issue is.

TheWayoftheLeaf · 29/04/2022 12:02

Mine says 'sorry but I don't recognise who is speaking' to me. No idea why as it's only about 1/3 of the time.

I'm taking it as an e-snub. A 'who do you think you are' style insult.

PuppyMonkey · 29/04/2022 12:14

Our Echo Show is very ignorant too.

And the other day , I asked her to turn the volume down to 3 and she said: “Would you like me to set the volume at 3 every morning when switched on?” So I said “yes please” and she just went: “Sorry, I can’t do that.” Gaslighting me.

in answer to your problem though OP, have you tried going on the app, deleting the device then adding the device again?

shadypines · 29/04/2022 12:40

Just don't leave her alone with the rabbit....