Alexa Not Working on Samsung TV (9 Fixes)

Normally, Alexa would be completely inactive unless you call her into action by saying “Alexa” out loud.

As long as your Samsung TV is paired with Samsung SmartThings, any Samsung TV manufactured after 2018 will be able to switch the channel with your voice assistant Alexa.

However, sometimes your Alexa app is not working on your Samsung TV.

It’s not uncommon for your Alexa app on your Samsung TV to have issues, but don’t worry.

In this article, We’ll go over the 9 common fixes for issues with Alexa not working on your Samsung TV.

Related Article: Apps Not Opening on My Samsung TV

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1. Soft Reset or Cold Reboot the Samsung TV

If some corrupted settings on the Samsung Smart TV prevent Alexa from working, then a soft reset, or power cycling, would shut down the TV completely and stop all the background tasks and apps that might be causing issues with Alexa.

There are two ways to execute a cold reboot and restart a Samsung TV.

Method 1 – Follow these steps to soft reset a Samsung TV:

Remove the TV’s power cord from the wall outlet for 60 seconds.

Plug the power cord back into the surge protector or wall outlet.
Wait for the TV to finish rebooting.

Method 2 – To cold reboot the Samsung TV:

Remove the TV power cable from the power outlet.
On the Remote Control, Press and Hold the Power button for at least 30 seconds.
Plug the TV back into the power outlet.

Wait for the TV to finish starting up.

2. Check for Samsung TV Firmware Updates

There are times when a new and updated Amazon Alexa app will have issues with outdated Samsung smart TV firmware and software.

Samsung will release new software updates periodically to fix bugs. Updating to the latest Samsung TV firmware version and software can get rid of any Alexa application issues.

You can download the most recent firmware update for Samsung TVs by accessing the TV’s setting menu. You can also download the updated software version from the manufacturer’s website.

Follow these steps through the TV menu to update the Samsung TV firmware:

1. On the Samsung TV remote control, Press Home.

2. Select Settings

3. Select Support.

4. Select Software Update.

5. Select Update Now.

6. The TV will automatically reboot for the new firmware to fully install and take effect.

On the Samsung TV remote control, Press Home.

Select Settings.
Select Support.
Choose Software Update.

Choose Update Now.
The TV will automatically reboot for the initial setup for the new firmware to fully install and take effect.

You can also download an updated version of the Samsung TV firmware and transfer it to a USB drive. Follow these steps:

On your desktop or laptop, go to the Samsung download page and find your current Samsung TV model.
Download the updated/latest firmware version to your computer.
Extract the files and transfer them to a USB drive.

Insert the USB drive into one of the USB ports on the TV.
On the TV remote, Press Home.
Select Settings.

Select Support.
Select Software Update.
Start the Software Update Process on the TV.

The TV will restart and use the updated firmware on the USB drive. Be sure not to remove the USB drive until after the TV has fully restarted.

3. Remove and Reinstall App

An app conflict can stop your Alexa app from working on a Samsung television. If you notice that your Alexa app doesn’t work properly, try removing it, and reinstalling it. This may fix the issue.

If there’s an available app update for Alexa, you can download the updated version first. Or deleting and reinstalling could give it a fresher start.

Before you uninstall Alexa, be sure you keep the login information somewhere safe. Because the saved login information may be lost. You will be signed out of the app and will be asked to sign in again.

Follow these step by step to uninstall and reinstall Alexa on a Samsung TV:

1. Press Home on the remote control.

2. Navigate to Apps.

3. Select Settings.

4. Navigate to the App.

5. Select Delete. If Delete is grayed out, you won’t be able to delete it because it’s a recommended app. Instead, Select Reinstall.

6. Press Return on the Remote.

7. Select Search.

8. Enter the App Name.

9. Select to Install the App.

Press Home on the remote control.

Navigate to Apps.
Select Settings.
Navigate to the Alexa App.

Select Delete. If Delete is gray, you won’t be allowed to delete it because it is a suggested app. Instead, Select Reinstall.
Press Return on the Remote.
Select Search.

Enter the Alexa App Name.
Select to Install the Alexa App.

4. Slow Internet Connection

If you experience the Alexa app having other issues, it could be due to slow or poor internet connection speeds. Smart Home devices such as your Samsung Smart TV tend to work slower if they don’t have the recommended internet connection speeds.

When using your Alexa app, you will need a minimum download speed of 5 Mbps to stream HD video. If you want to stream 4K video, you will need 50+ Mbps.

There may be several reasons why the WiFi download is slow and causes poor internet speed. These include the following:

1. Weak Wi-Fi Signal to Samsung TV

If the Wi-Fi network has a weak Wi-Fi link between the Samsung TV and the wireless router, the wireless connection might sometimes be lost and cause issues when using the Alexa App.

Make sure the Wi-Fi signal from the TV to the wireless router is adequately strong. If you want to check whether the Wi-Fi connection is adequate enough, follow these steps.

On the Samsung TV remote, Press Home.
Choose Settings.

Select General.
Select Network.
Select Open Network Settings.

Chose Wireless.
In the list of wireless networks, identify how many signal bars your wireless network has. 1 to 2 bars is the sign of a weak signal.

If the distance between your wireless network and your Samsung TV is too far apart, then there could be Wi-Fi signal issues with the connection quality being inconsistent.

Another reason why weak Wi-Fi signal issues may be present is that there are many obstacles or walls between the TV and the router which block the signal.

If you want to shorten the distance between the router and the TV, it’ll be easier for you to move the router closer towards the TV rather than the other way around. A shorter distance between the router and the device will significantly improve the quality of your Wi-Fi connections.

If the router and Samsung television cannot be moved, then you’ll need to purchase a Wi-Fi repeater that acts as a middle point for the Wi-Fi signals between them.

WiFi repeaters are also called WiFi extenders. This is one of the best ones out there and works well in smart homes. They can be found on Amazon:

Netgear Orbi RBS50Y-2CCNAS Outdoor WiFi Range Extender
- Compatible with any WiFi router, gateway, or ISP rented gateway. (Not compatible with Orbi WiFi 6 systems)
- Weather-resistant, IP66 rating keeps you connected outdoors, rain or shine
- Works with your existing router to extend coverage outside by up to 2, 500 sq. ft.
- Award-winning tri-band mesh WiFi technology

NETGEAR Orbi Whole Home Tri-band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System (RBK853) – Router with 2 Satellite Extenders, Coverage Up to 7,500 Square Feet, 100 Devices, AX6000 (Up to 6Gbps)
- Coverage up to 7,500 sq. ft. and for up to 100 devices. Extend coverage up to 2,500 sq. ft. with each additional satellite (sold separately)
- Ultrafast AX6000 gigabit speed with WiFi 6 technology for uninterrupted streaming, HD video gaming, and web conferencing
- Compatible with any internet service provider

2. Soft Reset the Wi-Fi Router

Suppose your Wi-Fi network has not been restarted or turned off for a long period of time. This may indicate a problem with its configuration or something else might be going on. It can cause slow Internet speeds with the Wi-Fi connection.

Power cycling and rebooting your network equipment like your router or modem can help if this is the case.

To soft reset the WiFi Router or Modem, follow these steps:

Unplug the Wi-Fi Router from the power outlet and leave it unplugged for at least 60 seconds.

Plug the Wi-Fi Router back in to the power outlet.
Turn On the Router if there’s an On/Off switch.
Wait a few minutes for the Router to reboot and connect to your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

3. Try a Wired Connection

If your router has a problem connecting to the network wirelessly, wired connections are more reliable than using wireless signals. It’s also more manageable to troubleshoot if there’s an issue.

Using a wired connection can result in a high-speed connection to your Samsung TV. You can also use an ethernet cable from the Samsung TV to the router to test the internet connection.

Follow these steps to connect and use a wired internet connection with your Samsung TV:

Connect an ethernet cable from the LAN port on the back of the Samsung smart TV to a LAN port on the router or modem.
On the Samsung TV remote control, Press Home.
Select Settings.

Select General.
Select Network.
Select OK for the TV to use the wired network to access the internet.

If you have an active internet connection, the Wi‑Fi router’s wireless functionality may be having problems. If none works, you may need to update the router’s firmware, perform a factory reset, or replace the device altogether.

4. Disconnect Other Devices from the Wi-Fi Network

Connecting multiple devices to a single modem or router at the same time could cause them to slow down the overall performance of the WiFi connection.

An example of this is, if you have four smartphones, three tablets and three laptops connected to the same wireless network, the internet speed for each device will be stagnate and cause WiFi connection issues.

Older Wi-Fi routers and modem models are often particularly bad at handling multiple simultaneous connections.

If you want to enhance your internet speed on your Samsung TV for Alexa, try disconnecting all the other devices. Then reconnect Samsung TV to the Wi-Fi network and check if you’re getting improvements.

If this fixes the slow internet issue, you know that it was frankly a problem with an old router not being able to sustain multiple devices. Consider upgrading to a new Wi-Fi router that supports multiple devices sharing the internet simultaneously.

5. Change DNS Server

Sometimes unstable internet connections can cause Alexa app problems on the Samsung TV. Issues can occur when DNS servers from your ISP are not set correctly.

The Samsung smart TV will use the DNS servers from the ISP, however, you can change them to other DNS servers. This can significantly increase the speed of your browsing experience.

Your ISP’s DNS servers could cause troubles with accessing Alexa servers, but you can bypass them by using Google’s public DNS servers which is a more reliable and popular option for a reliable internet connection.

Follow these steps to manually change the DNS settings and use Google’s DNS servers on the Samsung TV:

On the Samsung TV remote control, Press Home.
Choose Settings.

Choose General.
Select Network.
Select Network Status.

Select IP Settings.
Select DNS Setting.
Select Enter Manually.

Choose DNS Server.
Enter 8.8.8.8.
Try to open and reconnect to the Alexa app again.

6. Reset Smart Hub on Samsung TV

If another application that you are signed in to is running on the Samsung smart TV, it could interfere with Alexa and can cause an issue.

Resetting the Smart Hub on the Samsung TV can help by signing out of all the apps to remove the conflict. But before a smart hub reset, always make sure to have all the login information, usernames, and passwords, so you’ll be able to log back in.

For newer Samsung Smart TV models made after 2020, follow these steps:

On the remote control, Press Home.
Select Settings.
Select Support.

Choose Service Care.
Choose Self Diagnosis.
Choose Reset Smart Hub.

For older Samsung TV models made before 2020, follow these steps:

On the remote control, Press Home.
Select Settings.

Select Support.
Choose Self Diagnosis.
Select Reset Smart Hub.

If the Samsung TV prompts for a security PIN code to restart the Smart Hub and you didn’t change the PIN code previously, use the default PIN: 0000.

You might also need to download the Alexa app again after resetting.

Alexa Not Working on Samsung TV Final Thoughts

You may experience some issues with Alexa on your Samsung smart TV. Most of the issues with the Alexa app not working on your TV can be resolved by following the steps above.

Here are some other apps that can have issues working on a Samsung TV:

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Image source: samsung.com