Smart homes have been gaining popularity over the last years, however, the covid-19 situation contributes to an increase in the use of smart home devices. The use of Amazon’s Alexa, as one of the most popular choices, is on the rise. However, many users encounter some difficulties with the initial setup. So, how to connect Alexa to internet?
This is why we are here today. In this article, you will learn that connecting Alexa to the internet is much less complicated than many people fear. Below, we will present you with exact steps on how to connect Alexa to internet using the app and how to connect Alexa to WiFi without app. We will also provide you with instructions about how to connect Alexa to new WiFi, which is good to know especially if you are switching your internet provider.
However, before we go into details about how to connect Alexa to internet, we need to make sure you all know what Alexa is and what does Alexa do, which is where we will start our article.
Are you ready to dig in? Let’s do this.
What Is Alexa? What Does Alexa Do?
So, what is Alexa? Alexa is Amazon’s virtual assistant AI technology. Alexa is not an actual device but an online system based on Amazon’s servers. In order to use Alexa or get access to it, you need an Alexa-enabled device. Amazon’s Echo and Echo Dot are the two most popular options. If we were completely technical, we should change the title of this article from ‘How to connect Alexa to internet” to ‘How to connect Alexa-enabled device to internet’.
There is a lot that Alexa can do. You ask, Alexa provides (you need to get used to talking to a virtual assistant). It is capable of providing information based on search engine results, playing music, present you with instant news and sports scores, inform you about the weather, basically tell you about almost anything you can find online. Alexa can also control your smart home lights and all other appliances connected to it. The Amazon Prime members may also use Alexa to order products from Amazon.
Alexa is based in the cloud, expanding the information offered all the time and refining the responses to give you more accurate information. In order to access Alexa and for it to provide you with the information, you obviously need internet access.
Playing music with Alexa is very popular as you simply ask for the song you want to listen. Aside from Amazon Music, Alexa offers support for many more services, including Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, TuneIn as well as apps from individual providers, like the BBC, which gives you a lot of options.
Alexa is extremely powerful and once you get used to using all its features, especially if you have a smart home, your life gets a lot easier as you get things done much faster.
So, how to connect Alexa to internet?
How To Connect Alexa To Internet – With The Alexa App
Now that we all know what Alexa is and what it can do, let’s have a look at the details on how to connect Alexa to internet. We will first go into details about how to connect Alexa to internet using the Alexa App.
Note: The steps below are based on assumption that you are connecting an Alexa-enabled device to the internet for the first time.
Here are the steps:
- Plug-in your Alexa-enabled device to power output.
- Download the Alexa App on your smartphone or tablet (the app is accessible on Google Play for Androids and Apple Store for iPhones, iPods, or iPads).
- As the app is downloaded and installed, launch it (it may do so automatically).
- Alexa App setup:
- Sign in: enter your Amazon account login details (t.i. email/phone number and your password)
- Tap the “Get Started” button
- Choose the name associated with your Amazon account from the list, or use another name by tapping the “I’m Someone Else” option, which will enable you to create a new user
- On the next step, you will be asked to allow Amazon to access your contacts and notification. If you want full functionality, we recommend granting the access, especially if you plan on using Alexa to make calls.
- Tap the menu button in the upper left-hand corner (3 horizontal lines) and choose “Settings” in the drop-down menu.
- Look for the “Add Device” option. Then select the preferred device from the provided list (Echo, Echo Dot, or others). We will focus on Echo Dot but the procedure is no different for other devices.
- With your device plugged in, turn it on by pressing and holding the Action button. In the case of the Echo device, you will see a blue ring appear and start circulating, which will then change to orange.
- When the device is ready, tap “Continue” on your app.
- The next step is to connect the device to WiFi. The app provides you with easy-to-follow on-screen instructions. This step includes choosing the network with a custom name.
- Once you successfully connect your device to WiFi, you will receive a confirmation message from the app.
- On every occasion you want to connect your Alexa-enabled device to WiFi, you need to tap the custom-named network from the list of available networks. If prompted, enter the password.
- The “Your Device [device name] is now online” message tells you that you are all set up.
And this is how to connect Echo Dot to WiFi. The steps for any other Alexa-enabled device are the same.
How To Connect Alexa To New Wifi
Let’s say you are changing your internet provider or moving your Alexa-enabled device to a new location. In that case, you will be connecting Alexa to new WiFi. So, how to connect Alexa to new WiFi?
Here are the steps:
- Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines in the upper left-hand corner) and select the Settings option
- Tap the ‘Device Settings’
- Next to your device’s WiFi network, tap the “Change” option in order to change the network (this also enables you to change the password)
- The steps that the on-screen instructions will guide you through are similar to those in the initial setup. Use the section above to assist you with the steps.
How To Connect Alexa To Wifi Without App
Both of the previous two sections refer to the use of the Alexa App. However, there is a way to connect an Alexa-enabled device to internet without the app and this is what we will focus on in this section. All Echo devices let you connect them to the internet without the use of the Alexa app.
This is done via the Settings of your smartphone. Of course, you still need a proper WiFi connection on your phone. Here are the steps regarding how to connect Alexa to WIFi without app:
- Access your phone’s settings. The fastest way to do so is by swiping down your smartphone’s screen and tapping on the Settings icon (typically the icon is a gear)
- Once within your phone’s settings, tap on the “Network & Internet” option
- Long press the “Wi-Fi” option (alternatively, you may long-press the Wi-Fi icon in the home screen drop-down menu as well)
- Once you see the list of all available internet networks, select your Echo device’s network by tapping its name (it is usually something like “Amazon-XXX”, X being any character or digit).
- Enter the network’s password accurately.
- Tap “Connect” and you are done.
Note: The use of the Alexa app is highly recommended as it makes things simpler and provides you with all the options you need.
How To Fix It When Alexa Is Not Connecting To The Internet
The above settings are rather simple, however, sometimes some errors occur. In this section, we will provide you with several action steps you can take to fix the issue at hand. Follow the steps below.
Follow these steps (those applicable for your situations) to get Alexa up and running again:
- First, check your internet connection. Is it’s working properly on other devices? If you can’t connect to the internet, Alexa can’t do her job properly. If you don’t have internet access move to step 2. If you have established that you have an internet connection, move on to step 3.
- Manually restart both the modem and wireless router (you can unplug them wait for 10 seconds and plug them back in). After the restart, wait for 5 minutes, then connect Alexa to Wi-Fi. This is a quick fix, however, if it does not work in your case, contact your internet provider.
- Restart the Alexa-enabled device by powering off or unplugging the device and turning it back on. Then reconnect it to Wi-Fi. Does it work? If yes, great, if not, move to the following steps.
- Make sure that the Wi-Fi password is correct. Reenter the correct password and connect again.
NOTE: This is a common issue. Wi-Fi devices don’t state the reason why they cannot connect to a network, so it is smart to check that possible password mismatch. - How is your Wi-Fi signal? Are you too far from the router? Are there any obstacles? Wi-Fi signals cannot travel long distances without degrading, as such, you can fix this issue by moving the Alexa-enabled device closer to the router or removing any obstacles that may be interfering with the signal. For a long-term solution, consider getting a better router or network extensions (repeaters).
- When all else fails and you have determined that you have a working WiFi connection available, you can reset the Alexa-enabled device to factory settings. By doing so you can sometimes fix the problems. The exact steps for resetting an Amazon Echo devices depend on the generation of the device.
- If none of the above helped, contact technical support. Amazon support or your internet service provider support will be able to assist you further.
FAQs
What is the difference between Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Plus?
Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Plus are the three most popular Alexa-enabled device. They vary slightly in functionality, size, and design. Echo Dot is the smallest option (hockey-puck-like), while Echo Plus is the tallest. Echo Plus is the only one that includes the Amazon smart home bub control. With Echo Dot and Echo, you will need to buy a smart home hub separately.
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What do I need to know about Alexa and privacy?
Alexa advanced setting now enables you to configure Alexa in a way that none of your voice recordings are saved. This is quite a huge step forward compared to the previous options, where you could have only opted in for auto-deletion after three or eighteen months.
To not be a part of Amazon’s customer improvement do the following: Settings > Alexa Privacy > Manage Your Alexa Data > toggle off the setting that says Use Voice Recordings to Improve Amazon Services.
Keep in mind that unless you setup auto-deletion or disable transcripts from being saved, everything you ask Alexa is saved in the Alexa app as transcripts and voice memos. So if you share the app with others, they’ll be able to see every command you’ve given Alexa.
How do I restore factory settings on Amazon devices?
This process is not the same for all Alexa-enabled devices and it is impossible for us to cover all those steps. It is best to use your internet search engine to get the exact steps for your device or call support. But the steps for the 3rd and 4th Echo generations are very simple. They are as follows:
- Press and hold the Action button for 25 seconds. The light ring will pulse orange, then turn off.
- Wait for the light ring to turn back on and turn blue. The light ring then turns orange again and the device enters the setup mode.
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