Wemo Switch Not Detected by Alexa? (How to Troubleshoot)

ByNelson Morgan Last Updated on: Troubleshooting

Wemo Smart Switches are impressive. However, you can sometimes find minor niggly issues with them, such as not connecting to Alexa/Google Home. Sounds like you? Then you want to keep reading as I’ll walk you through the steps to fix this.

Let’s begin!

WeMo Switch Not Detected by Alexa

If Alexa isn’t detecting your Wemo Switch, here are some reasons this might happen:

  • Problem with the switch—probably not turned on.
  • Poor internet connection.
  • You have a VPN service enabled.
  • MAC filters enabled.
  • The WeMo Switch is not compatible with Alexa.

With that in mind, let’s get into more details on how to troubleshoot this issue.

Wemo Switch Not Detected by Alexa: Try These Troubleshooting Tips

1. Check that the Switch is Turned On

While this may be a rarity (in my experience), you want to first confirm that your WeMo Smart Switch is turned on. Of course, Alexa won’t detect the switch if it’s not on.

So check that and ensure that your switch is on.

2. Check Your Internet Connection

To control your Wemo switch remotely, you need an active internet connection. If you cannot suddenly access your Wemo device via Alexa, a poor Wi-Fi connection may be the culprit.

The first step to fixing this specific issue is to check your Wi-Fi strength from another device. Is the Internet signal weak or strong? Is the Internet running at all? You may need to discuss with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to send a tech for a proper diagnosis.

3. Reset Your Wi-Fi Router 

Sometimes, your Wemo switch won’t respond to commands from Alexa/Google Home because it has lost Wi-Fi connectivity. Remember, it is this Wi-Fi connection that makes it possible to control the switch from miles away.

If you’re sure the problem is not from the Wemo Switch, resetting the router may be your best option. For guidelines on how to fix your Wi-Fi router, check the user manual or support articles on the official website.

4. Disable VPN Service

Some ISPs like Google Fi have VPN functionality, which may affect the connection between your Wemo switch and the Alexa system. Here’s a brief explanation of this issue using Google Fi as an example:

You have Google Fi installed as your primary ISP and want to connect both Alexa and Wemo—that fails. What you don’t realize is that the Google Fi VPN is actively barring any linking between the two devices. 

Before it can connect, the Wemo cloud compares the IP address of the request with the registered IP of the WeMo device. A discrepancy in IP addresses, caused by VPN use is going to hinder connection. That means you have no choice but to stop the VPN operation to allow Wemo to connect with Alexa.

So check to see if you have any VPN service running and disable it. Next, try to access your Wemo Switch through Alexa to see if the issue is fixed. If not, continue to the next step.

5. Turn off MAC Filters

Multimedia Access Control (MAC) works by allowing only specific devices on a network. If you have a router, a MAC filter can prevent unwanted devices from connecting to your Wi-Fi router.

Although a great security feature, MAC filtering can prevent devices, including Alexa, from connecting your home Wi-Fi network. And, without a stable Wi-Fi connection, Alexa cannot function—let alone detect your WeMo device.

Here is a handy article on how to turn off MAC filtering for Wi-Fi devices.

6. Enable Wemo Skills in Alexa

As you probably know, before you can start communicating with your Wemo device with Alexa commands, you need to first enable Wemo Skills in the Alexa app. Without this functionality, Alexa may not detect your device.

Start by checking the Smart Home Skills section in the Alexa app to see if you have enabled Wemo Skills. If not, that might be the cause of the issue. So enable Wemo Skills to see if that solves the problem.

Not sure how to enable Wemo Skills in the Alexa app? Here’s a quick guide to enabling Wemo Skills in your Alexa app:

  • Open the Alexa app on your phone.
  • Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and tap Devices.
  • Click on YOUR SMART HOME SKILLS and then click ENABLE SMART HOME SKILLS.
  • Tap the search icon and type “Wemo” in the search field. Next, select Wemo from the search results.
  • Tap ENABLE TO USE, then enter your Wemo account details and tap Next.
  • After signing in, Alexa will prompt you to allow access to your Wemo devices. Tap Allow Access.
  • Tap Done to complete the process.

If you’ve already enabled Wemo Skills in Alexa, disabling and enabling again is a possible fix.

More so, check if there are new updates to the Alexa app Wemo app and update them.

7. Confirm Device Compatibility 

Not every ‘smart’ device will work seamlessly with Alexa. Should your Wemo find issues connecting with Alexa/Google Home set-up, compatibility may be an issue.

Amazon has a list of compatible devices on its website, so confirm if your brand of Wemo is listed. Otherwise, consider switching to a Wemo device supported by Alexa.

8. Restart Your Device 

Restarting the WeMo device has proven to be a useful fix for users experiencing the “Wemo not detected by Alexa” problem. To restart your device, press and hold the RESTART/POWER button until the green light flashes. This should force the device to restart and hopefully solve the problem.

9. Perform a Device Reset 

Sometimes, restarting your Wemo device is enough to solve the problem; occasionally, though, this fix may not work. The best thing you can do in this situation is to reset the Wemo switch and hope that it removes any code bugs.

Start by pressing the RESTART button and wait for the green LED indicator to blink. That’s the signal the Wemo switch is about to restart. Immediately the green light flashes, press the RESET button for about five seconds to complete the reset.

Wrapping Up 

The fixes listed in this article for the “Wemo not detected by Alexa” problem have been tried by other users with success. As with most smart devices, you may need to troubleshoot the problem with different fixes before it clears.

And if none of the fixes work for you, contact Wemo Customer Support for help.

So that’s it. Hope this article was helpful, and you could fix the issue with your Wemo Switch.

You may also like to see how to troubleshoot Kasa Smart Switch and Caseta Smart Switch.