When your voice assistant hears you but doesn't respond, it's usually because of WiFi problems, server outages, the device not understanding your command, or issues with linked smart home devices. Restart your speaker and router, check your internet connection, and make sure the devices you're trying to control are online.

Quick Navigation

  1. Why they don't respond
  2. Fix 1: Check internet
  3. Fix 2: Restart speaker
  4. Fix 3: Service outages
  5. Fix 4: Speak clearly
  6. Fix 5: Smart devices
  7. Fix 6: Re-link services
  8. Fix 7: Voice history
  9. Fix 8: Update software
  10. Fix 9: Factory reset
  11. Specific commands issue
  12. Preventing future problems

Why Voice Assistants Hear You But Don't Respond

When your smart speaker lights up, it means the wake word detection worked. The device heard "Alexa," "Hey Google," or "Hey Siri" and started listening. But several things can go wrong between hearing your command and actually doing something about it.

Common reasons for this problem:

  • Internet connection dropped: The speaker heard you locally but couldn't reach the cloud servers to process your command
  • Server problems: Amazon, Google, or Apple's servers are having issues
  • Command not understood: The assistant heard words but couldn't figure out what you wanted
  • Smart device offline: The light or plug you're trying to control isn't responding
  • Account issues: Something's wrong with your linked accounts or services
  • Speaker software glitch: The device itself is having a temporary problem

Fix 1: Check Your Internet Connection

This is the most common cause. Your smart speaker needs a working internet connection to process voice commands. Even though the wake word detection happens locally on the device, everything else requires cloud servers.

Quick ways to check your internet:

  1. Try loading a website on your phone (make sure you're on WiFi, not cellular)
  2. Ask your speaker a simple question like "What time is it?"
  3. Check if other smart home devices are working

If your internet is down or slow, restart your router:

  1. Unplug your router from power
  2. Wait 30 seconds
  3. Plug it back in
  4. Wait 2-3 minutes for it to fully restart
  5. Test your speaker again

Fix 2: Restart Your Smart Speaker

A simple restart fixes a surprising number of problems. It clears out temporary glitches and forces the speaker to reconnect to your network fresh.

For any smart speaker:

  1. Unplug the power cord from the speaker
  2. Wait 30 seconds (actually count - don't rush it)
  3. Plug it back in
  4. Wait for the startup sound or light pattern to finish
  5. Try your command again

This restart process works for Echo devices, Google Nest speakers, HomePod, and pretty much any smart speaker.

Fix 3: Check for Service Outages

Sometimes the problem isn't on your end at all. Amazon, Google, and Apple all have occasional server problems that affect voice assistants.

How to check for outages:

  • Amazon Alexa: Check status.amazon.com or search Twitter for "Alexa down"
  • Google Assistant: Check status.cloud.google.com or the Google Home community forums
  • Apple Siri: Check apple.com/support/systemstatus
  • General: Visit downdetector.com and search for your service

If there's an outage, all you can do is wait. These usually get fixed within a few hours.

Fix 4: Speak More Clearly

Sometimes the assistant hears you but can't understand what you said. This is different from not hearing the wake word - the device activated but couldn't process the rest of your sentence.

Tips for clearer commands:

  • Speak at a normal pace - not too fast, not too slow
  • Pause briefly after the wake word before giving your command
  • Reduce background noise (turn down TV, music, etc.)
  • Face toward the speaker when talking
  • Use simple, direct commands instead of long sentences

Instead of: "Hey Google, could you maybe turn on the lights in the living room if you don't mind?"

Try: "Hey Google, turn on living room lights."

Fix 5: Check Your Smart Home Devices

If you're trying to control a smart light, plug, or other device, the problem might be with that device rather than your voice assistant. The assistant understood your command but the target device isn't responding.

For Alexa:

  1. Open the Alexa app
  2. Tap "Devices"
  3. Look for devices showing "Offline" or with a yellow warning icon
  4. Try controlling the problem device directly through its own app

For Google Home:

  1. Open the Google Home app
  2. Check your devices list
  3. Look for devices that show as unavailable
  4. Tap on problem devices to see their status

If a device is offline, try power cycling it (unplug for 30 seconds, plug back in) or check its WiFi connection.

Voice assistants connect to other services like Spotify, smart home brands, and calendars through "skills" or "links." Sometimes these connections break and need to be set up again.

Signs of a broken service link:

  • Music commands don't work but other commands do
  • One brand of smart devices fails while others work
  • Calendar or reminder features stopped working

To re-link a service in Alexa:

  1. Open the Alexa app
  2. Go to "More" then "Skills & Games"
  3. Find the skill that's not working
  4. Disable it, then enable it again
  5. Sign in to the service when prompted

To re-link in Google Home:

  1. Open the Google Home app
  2. Tap your profile picture
  3. Select "Assistant settings"
  4. Find the service under the relevant category
  5. Unlink and relink the account

Fix 7: Check Voice History

Looking at what your assistant thought it heard can help you understand why it didn't respond. Maybe it heard something completely different from what you said.

For Alexa:

  1. Open the Alexa app
  2. Go to "More" then "Activity & Privacy"
  3. Tap "Review Voice History"
  4. Look at recent entries to see what Alexa heard

For Google:

  1. Go to myactivity.google.com in a browser
  2. Filter by "Assistant"
  3. Review what Google thought you said

If the transcription is way off from what you actually said, you might need to retrain voice recognition or speak more clearly.

Fix 8: Update Your Speaker's Software

Outdated software can cause all kinds of weird problems, including the assistant hearing you but not responding. Most smart speakers update automatically, but sometimes updates get stuck.

For Echo devices:

  1. Say "Alexa, check for software updates"
  2. Or leave the device plugged in overnight - it updates automatically during quiet hours

For Google Nest:

  1. Open the Google Home app
  2. Tap your speaker
  3. Tap the gear icon
  4. Look for "Device information" and check the software version
  5. Updates happen automatically, but restarting can trigger them

For HomePod:

  1. Open the Home app on your iPhone
  2. Tap and hold on your HomePod
  3. Scroll down and tap the gear icon
  4. Check for available updates

Fix 9: Factory Reset as a Last Resort

If nothing else works, a factory reset wipes everything and lets you start fresh. This should fix any software corruption causing the problem, but you'll need to set up the device again from scratch.

For Echo devices:

  1. Press and hold the Action button for 20-25 seconds
  2. Wait for the light ring to turn orange
  3. Set up the device again in the Alexa app

For Google Nest speakers:

  1. Press and hold the microphone mute button for about 15 seconds
  2. You'll hear a confirmation that it's resetting
  3. Set it up again in the Google Home app

For HomePod:

  1. Unplug HomePod, wait 10 seconds, plug back in
  2. Wait 10 seconds, then touch and hold the top
  3. Keep holding until you hear three beeps
  4. Set it up again in the Home app

When the Problem Is Specific Commands

If your assistant responds to some commands but ignores others, the issue might be with how you're phrasing things or with specific features.

Try these troubleshooting steps:

  • Test with a simple command like "What's the weather?" to confirm basic functionality works
  • If smart home commands fail, try controlling devices through the app instead
  • Check if the feature you're trying to use is available in your country
  • Make sure you're using the correct device names (exactly as they appear in the app)

Preventing Future Problems

Once you get things working again, these habits help prevent the problem from coming back:

  • Keep your router and smart speaker in good locations with strong WiFi signal
  • Restart your router once a month to keep connections fresh
  • Restart your smart speaker every few weeks
  • Keep the speaker's software updated
  • Periodically check that all your smart home devices are online
  • Use simple, consistent names for your devices and rooms

Most "hears me but does nothing" problems come down to internet connectivity or temporary glitches. Start with a restart of both your speaker and router - that combination fixes the issue about 70% of the time. If that doesn't work, check for service outages before diving into more complex troubleshooting.