Alexa alarms, timers and reminders not working
If your alarm did not ring, a timer stayed silent or a reminder did not appear, the cause is usually volume, a lost Wi-Fi connection or the wrong time zone.
Check volume and connection
- Alarms and timers have their own volume. Ask Alexa to turn it up while it is ringing, or say, "Alexa, alarm volume ten".
- Make sure the Echo was online. If Wi-Fi is down, cloud-based features may fail.
- Look at the light ring when you expected the alarm.
Look at what is set
Say, "Alexa, what alarms do I have?" to hear the list. You can also check in the Alexa app. Look for alarms and timers in the device settings or the Devices tab. Menu names in the Alexa app change from time to time, so if yours looks slightly different, look for the closest wording rather than worrying.
Check that the alarm is set for the right Echo, since you can have different alarms on each. Check morning versus evening: Alexa may have heard seven in the evening rather than in the morning, so ask for the time as "7am".
Reminders
Reminders may be spoken from the Echo you asked, or may show as a notification on your phone. Check notifications are allowed for the Alexa app in your phone settings. For a spoken reminder, a yellow burst on the light ring means there is something waiting. Say, "Alexa, what are my notifications?"
Time zone and time
If alarms go off an hour wrong, check the time zone in the Echo's settings in the app. UK clocks changing in spring and autumn can briefly confuse things.
Other fixes
Restart the Echo by unplugging for 30 seconds. Make a new alarm for a test, a minute or two ahead. If a Do Not Disturb schedule is on, alarms normally still sound but notifications may stay quiet.
When to get more help
If an alarm matters, for example for medication or an early start, do not rely only on an Echo. Keep a backup alarm too. Ask Vision Tech if you want help making your setup more reliable.