Fix Alexa App Lighting Control Failures

Step by step

1. 30 sec

   Check the light manufacturer application

   Open the native app provided by your light manufacturer, such as Philips Hue or Kasa. Confirm the lights respond to commands within their proprietary app. If the lights fail here, the issue is with the hardware or local Wi-Fi, not Alexa.

   Note: If the lights work in the native app, proceed to step 2.
2. 1 min

   Trigger an Alexa discovery scan

   Open the Alexa app and select Devices in the bottom navigation bar. Tap the Plus icon at the top right, then select Add Device. Scroll to the bottom and select Other, then tap Discover Devices to force Alexa to re-poll your network.

   Note: This process takes approximately 45 seconds to complete.
3. 1 min

   Disable and re-enable the smart home skill

   Go to the More tab, select Skills & Games, and navigate to Your Skills. Locate the skill associated with your lights, tap it, and select Disable Skill. Once disabled, tap Enable to Use to re-authenticate your account credentials.

   Note: Re-authentication usually requires logging back into the manufacturer's website.
4. 1 min

   Force a firmware check for Alexa devices

   Say, Alexa, check for updates to all your Echo devices. Outdated firmware on your controlling bridge or Echo speaker often prevents command execution. If an update is found, wait for the device to reboot before testing the lights again.

5. 1 min

   Toggle the device state in Alexa

   Navigate to the Devices tab and select the specific light that is failing. Tap the gear icon in the top right to open Device Settings. Toggle the power state from within this menu to see if the cloud handshake is successful.

   Note: If the light responds here, the issue was a corrupted state cache.