Everything’s quiet in your living room when all of a sudden…
*Beep… Beep…*
Oh, Alexa…
Why do you keep beeping when no 1 asks you to?
But fortunately, it’s easy to stop this issue.
And I’m all up for helping you.
Continue reading to find out:
- Why Alexa beeps at the same time every day.
- The reasons why your Alexa is beeping randomly.
- 7 easy solutions to stop your Echo device from beeping.
- And more…
Why does my Alexa randomly beep?
Your Alexa randomly beeps because it’s letting you know that you have notifications. Sometimes, it’s also because your device is in the brief mode. That’s where Alexa beeps instead of vocally responding. It’s also possible that your Alexa has a routine to do at specific times of the day.
Alexa randomly beeping: 7 solutions
Before you begin, it’s important to know that…
Random beeps are usually due to minor setting adjustments and not a defective device.
So if you’re wondering whether or not your Echo is on its way to its final moments…
Don’t worry.
It’ll most likely stick with you longer than you’d expect.
But random beeps are certainly not fun to hear frequently.
So, here are easy solutions I’ve prepared for you to fix this problem.
#1: Disable Alexa’s notifications
Alexa’s role is to make your tech experience as hands-free as possible.
So the most common reason why you hear random beeps from your device is…
Alexa’s informing you that you got a notification.
The best way to check if this is the case is to check the color of your Echo.
Every color represents a different notification or indication.
And here’s a chart that can help you recognize their meaning:
| Color and Pattern | Notification |
| Pulsing green | Incoming call |
| Spinning green | Ongoing call |
| Flash of purple | Do Not Disturb is enabled |
| Pulsing yellow light | New message |
If you notice that your Echo device lights up every time you hear the beeping sound…
Then you’re lucky as it’s easy to turn off the notification sounds of Alexa.
All you need to do is:
- On your phone, open your Alexa app.
- Click More and head to Settings.
- Tap the Notifications option.
- Select the type of notification you’d like to turn off.
Note: You can turn off all the notification features to stop hearing any beeps altogether.
You might also want to check out: How To Get Alexa To Turn On Multiple Lights at Once
#2: Check if you’ve added any Alexa skills
A unique thing about Alexa is that it allows you to add your customized skills.
“What are those?”
Alexa skills are features that are similar to apps.
They help users utilize Alexa more by letting them play games, listen to podcasts, etc.
You can even use skills to listen to music platforms like SoundCloud…
Even if they’re not Alexa’s official partners.
But although skills are meant to help you use Alexa more efficiently…
Like any software, it’s also possible for them to contain bugs and glitches.
And glitchy skills like these may activate without any commands.
Thus, causing the random beeps.
“How do I know if I have an Alexa skill?”
All you need to do is ask Alexa herself.
Just say…
“Alexa, what skills do I have enabled?”
She’ll then tell you what skills you have installed.
And the best thing about this is you can turn them off just as easily.
By saying…
“Alexa, disable (name of your skill).”
Alexa will automatically do so without you needing to uninstall it from your app.
If turning off your active skills didn’t fix the problem, check if you need to…
#3: Turn off brief mode
Does your echo device beep every time you command Alexa to do something?
If so…
Then your device’s brief mode might be ON.
If you’re not familiar with what a brief mode is yet…
It’s an Alexa feature that replaces her vocal responses with a beep.
And although beeps can’t replace all of these responses…
They can undoubtedly replace enough of them to make the beeping noticeable.
“But I’ve never turned that setting ON.”
This feature may be turned ON by default even if you haven’t set it yourself.
But fret not.
It’s easy to turn this setting OFF.
Just like the mode itself…
The process is very brief.
To turn Brief Mode OFF:
- Open the Alexa app on your phone.
- Tap More > Settings.
- From the choices, select Voice Responses.
- Turn OFF Brief Mode.
For more information about what Alexa’s brief mode is, you can watch this video:
#4: Charge your Echo device
Just like Alexa beeps whenever you get a notification…
Your device also beeps every time it needs you to do something.
Like when its battery is running low and needs to be charged, for example.
And although Amazon hasn’t launched any battery-powered Alexa yet…
Some Echo and Echo Dot models are compatible with third-party battery bases.
“What are those?”
A battery base acts as your Echo’s portable charger.
But just like any batteries, they also drain power over time.
And when your Alexa device notices that its power source is running low…
It notifies you through the beeping sound.
The quick solution to this is to charge your Echo device directly to a plug.
If power is the only problem, this should be enough to solve the issue.
Further reading: Does Alexa Have To Be Plugged In To Work? + Alternatives
#5: Turn your mic off
Alexa will beep to let you know it’s listening every time you mention its wake-up phrases or words.
But being an AI, this function isn’t always perfect.
Alexa can think that you’re waking her up even when you’re just talking to someone else.
Or when you’re just singing to your favorite song.
The easiest way to prevent this mistake is to turn off your device’s mic when you’re not planning to use Alexa.
For devices like Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Show…
Turning off the microphone can be done by pressing the microphone button on the device.
And to turn it back ON again…
Just repeat the same procedure and press the button once more.
#6: Browse Alexa’s routines
As easy as it is to set up Alexa routines…
It’s also easy to forget that you set any of them in the first place.
But unlike us humans…
Alexa never forgets.
So Alexa might still be consistently doing a command you set ages ago.
“I’ve never set a routine for her to beep, though.”
There’s no direct command for Alexa to beep.
But for every routine that she executes…
She’ll most likely beep to inform you that she finished doing it.
Worry not, as removing unnecessary routines is easy to do.
To delete a routine:
- Open your Alexa app.
- Tap Menu and select Routines.
- Under the Enabled section, find the routine you want to delete.
- Select it and delete it.
If the beeping persists…
#7: Factory reset your device
In rare cases, the beeping is caused by a glitch in your Echo’s system.
And to fix this problem…
You need to do a factory reset.
A factory reset deletes all of your current information and settings from your Echo device.
And along with your information…
It can also delete the current glitches and bugs in your system causing these beeps.
But don’t worry. It’s easy to reset any Echo device.
Here are the steps to reset the latest generations of Echo, Echo dot, and Echo Show.
To reset 3rd or 4th generation Echo:
- On your device, locate the Action button.
- Hold the button for 20 seconds.
- Wait for its light to turn OFF.
- Let the device turn ON by itself again.
- Your device will enter the setup mode.
- Set up your device.
To reset an Echo Show device:
- On your Echo device, locate the Mute and Volume Down buttons.
- Hold both buttons simultaneously for 15 seconds.
- Let go when the Amazon logo appears.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
To reset a 3rd or 4th generation Echo Dot:
- Find the Action button on your device.
- Press it for 20 seconds.
- Let the light ring turn ON and OFF.
- Your device will enter setup mode.
- Proceed to set up your Echo Dot.
Note: The action button for all models is the button with a plain circle or dot.
If resetting your Echo couldn’t stop the beeping problem…
Bonus: Contact Amazon support
At this point, it’s safe to assume that…
Your Echo device has a software or hardware defect that needs professional assistance.
But luckily, Amazon has a dedicated customer support page that you can access anytime.
Not only can you chat with their representative in less than 1 minute…
Amazon support is also known for being generous about replacing faulty products.
So who knows?
You might be able to get yourself a new unit for free.
Why does my Alexa beep at the same time every day/night?
Your Alexa beeps at the time every day/night because it has a routine setup. A routine is a set of commands that you can tell Alexa to operate during a specific time every day. And when it successfully conducts its routine, it’ll beep to inform you.
If you want to turn off Alexa’s routine…
Go to your Alexa app, and tap More > Routines.
Then, select the 1 you wish to delete and remove it from the list.