Alexa Brief Mode Not Working: How to Fix

ByNelson Morgan Last Updated on: Troubleshooting

If you’re like me, you don’t want Alexa to keep bombarding you with voice responses. And that means you’ll need to keep Brief Mode on—to mute Alexa’s spoken responses.

However, Brief Mode may sometimes malfunction even when it’s enabled. Sounds like you? Then keep reading to see what you can do to fix this problem.

Alexa Brief Mode Not Working

First off, here are some reasons Brief Mode isn’t working on your Echo device:

  • The feature isn’t turned on.
  • You’re running an outdated version of the Alexa app.
  • Your Echo device is malfunctioning—may require power cycling/factory reset.

Now let’s look at what you can do to fix this problem yourself.

6 Tips to Fix Alexa Brief Mode Issues

1. Check that Brief Mode is Enabled

The Brief Mode feature in Alexa isn’t enabled by default, so you have to turn it on to get it working. If this feature isn’t working for you, first check whether it’s turned on. If not, turn it on and try to give Alexa a command again to see if the issue is resolved.

Here’s how to enable Brief Mode in the Alexa app:

  • Open the Alexa app and tap the three-line icon (menu) in the top left-hand corner.
  • Tap Settings, then tap “Voices Responses”.
  • You’ll see “Brief Mode”. Toggle it on to enable the feature.

You can now try giving Alexa a command to see if the problem is solved.

Continue to the next step if the problem persists.

2. Disable and Enable Brief Mode

If the Brief Mode feature was already enabled but not working, try disabling it and enabling it again.

Here is how to disable Brief Mode:

  • Open the Alexa app on your phone and tap the three-line icon (menu) in the top left corner.
  • Tap “Settings and then tap “Voice Responses”.
  • Toggle Brief Mode to the off position to disable it.

Now, close the app, then wait for about 30 seconds before turning Brief Mode back on. If you’re not sure how to enable Brief Mode, see the first troubleshooting step above.

Next, check to see if Brief Mode is now working properly. If not, continue to the next troubleshooting step.

3. Power Cycle Your Echo Device

Another fix to try is power cycling your Amazon Echo device. Doing this will reboot the device and apply all previous settings you made via the app.

To power cycle your Echo device, unplug the power adapter from the power source (outlet). Wait 10-20 seconds and plug it back in. This will reboot/power cycle your Echo device and possibly fix the Brief Mode issues.

4. Update the App

If you’re running an outdated version of the Alexa app, chances are the app may not function correctly. And this might be the reason the Brief Mode feature isn’t working even after enabling it.

Check Google Play or Apple App Store and update the Alexa app—if there are new updates.

5. Perform a Factory Reset on Your Echo Device

As you probably know, resetting the Echo device usually helps to fix some problems with it. So if the Brief Mode feature issues persist, try performing a factory reset on your Echo device.

To reset your Echo device, press and hold the Microphone off and Volume down button simultaneously. Keep holding the buttons (for about 15-20 seconds) until the light ring turns orange.

Note that the method above works for Echo Dot (2nd Gen). If you have Echo 3rd or 4th Gen, you can reset your device by:

  • Pressing and holding the “Action” button for about 20-30 seconds. The light ring will illuminate orange and turn off.
  • Now, wait for the light ring to turn on again and then turn blue.
  • When the light ring turns orange again, your Echo device will enter setup mode, and that shows it’s reset.

So that’s how to reset your Echo device. Now set it up again just as you did when you first installed it and turn Brief Mode off (see how to do this above). Next, check whether the Brief Mode is now working. If not, continue to the next step.

6. Contact Amazon

If you’ve tried all the fixes, yet Brief Mode won’t work, try contacting Amazon directly for further help.

Sometimes, issues like this may happen because of glitches on Amazon servers, so get in touch with them and try the fixes they recommend. If you don’t get a response immediately, you might just have to wait for some time and try again or consider replacing your Echo device.

Wrapping Up

So in this post, we covered the most viable tips to help you fix Brief Mode issues with your Alexa system/device.

To recap, if you’re having issues with the Alexa Brief Mode feature, start your troubleshooting by checking and turning on Brief Mode. Next, turn off the feature and turn it back on.

If the issue persists, power cycle your Echo device and perform a factory reset. And if everything fails, contact Amazon Support for help.

You may also want to see how to troubleshoot Alexa and Apple Music issues, Spotify and Alexa, other Alexa voice responses issues.