Have to yell at echo-dot for Alexa to respond

[Nisko]

For two months, Alexa would respond with a normal volume voice command ("Alexa"}.  Now, I have to hold the echo-dot up to my mouth or shout "Alexa" for the echo-dot to respond.

[malliekm]

Get her a hearing aid?

[mike27oct]

Any time any device acts up from normal, the first course of action is to turn it off and turn it on after it clears out itself.  So, in this case unplug device, wait five minutes and plug it back in. Once it has reset and indicates it is back on, try it out.  Is it better?  Great, but if not , contact Echo Customer Support.

[fstbusa]

I've noticed the same with my echo over the last 6-8 mo... seems like I now have to use a much more elevated volume for her to respond.

[Jerrym74]

I've only had mine for a month and I notice sometimes after a long period of inactivity I have to get rather loud and stern with her to wake her up. Typical woman. 

Sorry ladies, I couldn't help myself. 

[jim1590]

My wife swears that Alexa is ignoring her and acting like a you know what. Seems Alex don't like the other woman of the house!

[Protius]

My wife swears that Alexa is ignoring her and acting like a you know what. Seems Alex don't like the other woman of the house!

Mine says the same thing! I keep waiting to come home one afternoon and find Alexa on the floor with her cord cut and my wife saying she was out all day and this was how she found her when she got home...

[strayfish]

One of my Dots has gone a bit deaf too, and the other Dot and the Echo seem to be selectively so at times. Lately, setting a five minute timer (from inches away) frequently results in a one minute timer and lots of cancelling, resetting, cancelling before I get the five minutes I've almost used up! It still somehow manages to pick up irrelevancies form the other room though!

[malliekm]

And is this happening in a quiet house or is the tv on or other people in the room(s) talking or music playing?  The only time I have a problem with this is if there is background noise.  Knowing this, I know to speak a bit louder.

[iolinux333]

I've noticed this with all five of my devices. It started about six weeks ago. I assume it was a poor update, having to do with the software introduced about five months ago to have only the closest Echo respond when multiple echos hear the wake up word. That was great at first, not so good now. Lately a faraway Echo often ends up being the responder instead of one closest to me. I keep waiting for a silent update to fix everything again. I wonder what the hold up is?

[strayfish]

And is this happening in a quiet house or is the tv on or other people in the room(s) talking or music playing?  The only time I have a problem with this is if there is background noise.  Knowing this, I know to speak a bit louder.

Both - background noise, no background noise, no difference. Still able to pick up nonsense from elsewhere though. And as to timers, even I can't make 5, 6, and 7 sound the same but all of them have resulted in a one minute timer!

[malliekm]

And is this happening in a quiet house or is the tv on or other people in the room(s) talking or music playing?  The only time I have a problem with this is if there is background noise.  Knowing this, I know to speak a bit louder.

Both - background noise, no background noise, no difference. Still able to pick up nonsense from elsewhere though. And as to timers, even I can't make 5, 6, and 7 sound the same but all of them have resulted in a one minute timer!

Earlier today I tested the timer issue you talked about. I asked Alexa to set a five minute time...Lol, as I'm dictating this message in a very soft voice, Alexa just set a five minute timer..
And now she's just set a second timer for 5 minutes lol!  Anyway when the five minute timer went off I could not for the life of me remember why I set a timer!!! 😂

[strayfish]

Anyway when the five minute timer went off I could not for the life of me remember why I set a timer!!! 😂

Ha, yes! For me, the timer means the oven, pans, turning the outside tap off before the pond overflows, or letting the dog in. So far, I haven't had to work my way through them all before the poor mutt gets back indoors!

[scottrods]

I asked Alexa to please mow the yard this morning... She wasn't much help, but she certainly was wordy... She tries I suppose. Would you call that an "Alexa Fail"...

[strayfish]

I asked Alexa to please mow the yard this morning... She wasn't much help, but she certainly was wordy... She tries I suppose. Would you call that an "Alexa Fail"...

Was it preceded by a deep sigh and sounds of counting to ten ..?