Sometimes it feels like our virtual assistants are running our lives.
Although they normally do a great job, it can be frustrating when they don’t work as they should.
One of the main things we use devices like Alexa for is to remind ourselves of important tasks and appointments, but what does it mean when Alexa says, “reminders are not supported?”.
Alexa says “reminders not supported” because she is unsynching, overloaded with reminders, or her settings don’t enable reminders. It could also be because your device needs a restart. These issues are easy to fix but, if not, you should contact customer support.
Read further to discover more about why Alexa doesn’t support reminders, and when you should contact customer support.
Reasons Alexa doesn’t support reminders
#1: Alexa is unsyncing
The most likely cause of Alexa suddenly not supporting reminders is that she’s no longer synced with your smart device.
While Alexa takes voice commands (for example, “Remind me to take out the trash,”), these commands are normally synced with reminders on your phone.
There can be various reasons Alexa isn’t syncing, but it’s usually a fairly simple fix.
I’ve listed some tips below:
- Open the Alexa app on your phone.
- Tap Devices.
- Tap Echo & Alexa.
- Select your device.
- Tap Bluetooth Devices.
- Tap Pair a New Device.
At this point, Alexa should begin searching for devices that she can pair with, and you should be able to resync your phone to the device.
If you’re having issues resyncing your device, you can take a look at this helpful video:
It should also be noted that Alexa has to be connected to the same WiFi network to properly sync with your phone.
You can ensure this is the case by simply disconnecting and reconnecting the device to WiFi.
After syncing, try giving reminders to Alexa again.
If she’s still telling you that “reminders aren’t supported,” you may be dealing with a more complicated problem.
#2: Alexa is overloaded with reminders
If your Alexa has recently been working fine with reminders and has suddenly stopped working, it may be because the device has become overloaded with reminders.
This can happen if old reminders aren’t cleared, or if you give too many reminder commands in a certain time period.
Alexa is designed to automatically delete reminders three days after they come through, but unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen.
If a setting is changed accidentally, Alexa can hold onto information, like reminders, indefinitely.
Try completely clearing out your reminders and then giving the device a new command. This usually fixes the issue but you may need to reset the device as well.
You can clear out the reminders one of two ways – either by speaking directly to Alexa or by going into the app.
If you choose to delete reminders through a voice command you should be able to either delete all of them at once or one-by-one by listing the name of the reminder.
#3: Alexa’s settings don’t enable reminders
This is a pretty common issue.
Occasionally, when manipulating some of your settings in the Alexa app, you end up changing other ones.
If you have more than one person in your household using Alexa, this can be the cause.
If the settings have been changed, Alexa may not be receiving your reminders or may interpret it as a different command.
The good news is that changing your Alexa settings is a relatively easy fix.
To do this, follow these steps:
- Tap on Devices in your Alexa app and then
- Choose the device that is presenting a problem.
- Make sure Reminders are turned on as well as voice commands.
After verifying that the settings are correct, if your Alexa is still giving you problems, it’s definitely time to restart the device.
#4: Your device needs a restart
Restarts are the perfect fix, right? Restarting a device does wonders, and many people have reported that resetting the device has completely fixed the issues with reminders.
The easiest way to restart your Alexa is just to unplug it and then plug it back in.
If your Alexa device has become clogged with excess information, the restart should clear everything out and allow you a fresh start.
You may also need to reset the device.
While this isn’t ideal, sometimes it’s the best option to avoid more frustration than it’s worth.
You can perform a factory reset through the Alexa app on your phone.
Newer Alexa devices also have an action button, which can be held down for about 25 seconds for a factory reset.
You’ll know you’ve reset the device when the light ring goes from orange to dark and then turns on again with a blue color.
Afterward, it should go back to orange once more to indicate the device is ready to enter Setup Mode.
Read also: 5 Real Reasons Why Alexa Isn’t Calling Your Contacts
When it’s time to contact customer support
If you’ve tried changing your settings, clearing out reminders, and resetting the device, then it’s time to contact customer support.
Sometimes the best option is just to hand the problem over to the professionals.
While enormously useful, virtual assistants come with their fair share of issues. The good news is that customer support is trained to handle those issues.
If you contact the support line, you can expect them to lead you through a few troubleshooting steps, some of which may have already been included in what we discussed today.
If nothing fixes the problem, they may completely replace your Alexa device.
Conclusion
Alexa not supporting reminders has been a common issue with many Alexa users.
Normally the problem can be fixed by changing your settings, resyncing your phone to the device, or unplugging and replugging in the device.
At times, you may need to do a complete factory reset on the device. While burdensome, this typically will fix the problem.
However, if a factory reset doesn’t do the trick, it is my suggestion to go ahead and contact customer service.