When we talk about Alexa, we’re actually talking about two potentially different things. One is the Alexa app, which lives on your smartphone, computer, etc. This app is how you manage settings, connect devices, look for skills, make sure you have the right music account, and generally control how the voice assistant works behind the scenes. It can also use your device’s mic to listen to voice commands and provide all the usual voice-assistant services.
Then there’s an Alexa that lives in physical devices, like Echos, compatible watches, speaker bars, and so on. This version of Alexa needs separate software updates for the device itself, like how you would upgrade an operating system like iOS or Android.
If you’re on an iOS device, go to the App Store, select your Account profile in the top right, and scroll down to Available updates. Check to see if Alexa is there, or simply choose to Update all and get all your updates done at once.
If you are on Android, open up the Google Play Store, select your Profile at the top right, and select Manage apps and devices. Find the Alexa app and see if an update is available.
What about updating devices that use Alexa like Echos?
If you only use an Alexa app on a device like a phone, computer, or watch, you don’t have to worry about any other updates except those to the operating system. But if you have a separate device with Alexa built in, things get more complicated. Let’s look at the second part of Alexa – the software that’s on your specific device, like an Echo, Sonos smart speaker, Ecobee thermostat, and so on.
Step 1: Make sure your Alexa device is connected to your Wi-Fi network successfully. With an internet connection, most devices should update automatically. On Echo devices, the indicator light or ring will glimmer blue while an update is in progress.
Step 2: Say, “Alexa, check for software updates.” Alexa will look to see if there are any un-applied updates for that device and start updating if anything is available.
Step 3: If you have an Echo Show with a touchscreen display, you can manually go to Settings, select Device options, and select Check for software updates.
