Amazon Echo Keeps Pausing: 7 Known Issues (Solved)

The Amazon Echo is a fantastic smart technology that can benefit any household. From the ability to listen to music to keeping up-to-date with the latest news, the features available are almost endless.

However, a few frustrating playback and streaming glitches have been reported by Echo owners when they are listening to music or podcasts on the device. 

Below you will discover all of the commonly known issues that users have mentioned and what troubleshooting steps can be carried out to resolve them.

1. A Malfunctioning Skill may be Causing Problems with your Echo’s Playback

‘Skills’ are pretty much the equivalent of apps for Alexa and Echo. Sometimes one of the Skills, such as Spotify, may need to be removed and reinstalled to fix any bugs or issues.

Thankfully, doing so is incredibly straightforward and can be done through the Alexa app by following these steps:

1. Open the Alexa app on your smart device and go to the home screen.
2. Tap on ‘More’ and then navigate to ‘Skills & Games’
3. Next, go to the ‘Your Skills’ tab.
4. Select the skill you are having issues with, and select ‘Disable Skill’

Once you have done this, it’s worth closing and reopening the Alexa app to start afresh. From here, all you have to do is search for the skill in the ‘Skills & Games’ section and re-enable it.

2. Amazon Echo Keeps Pausing because your Wi-Fi Signal is Weak or Intermittent

As with any device that uses the internet to source your music, a poor Wi-Fi connection will drastically affect your Echo speaker’s ability to play music. When the internet strength is too weak, it can result in your music pausing, cutting in and out, or stopping altogether.

The first thing to do is check how strong your Wi-Fi signal is.

Luckily, with certain Echo models such as the Echo Show, this can be done using the display screen by following these steps:

1. Using your Shows screen, tap on ‘Settings’
2. Navigate to ‘Wi-Fi’ to display a list of all available networks.
3. Tap on the ‘i’ next to the network you are currently connected to and want to use.
4. The next screen will display the following: the status, signal strength, link speed and frequency of the connection.

Other models are slightly trickier and will not have the internet speed obviously shown. If this is the case, like with the Echo Dot, it is much easier to check the internet strength using your smartphone or tablet by going to the internet settings menu and selecting your Wi-Fi.

If you find your internet signal is weak, try resetting the router by unplugging it and plugging it back in again. This should get your network up and running again at its full strength.

3. High Bandwidth Consumption is causing your Amazon Echo to keep Pausing

If you are experiencing unwanted pauses or glitches when listening on your Amazon Echo, then it’s worth checking if anyone else on the network is performing other online activities that may be taking up a lot of bandwidth.

Here are some high bandwidth activity examples:

• Streaming on Netflix
• Online Gaming
• Video-calling

All Wi-Fi networks will have a limit when it comes to how many devices are using a lot of bandwidth, and naturally, when more bandwidth is being consumed it will mean a slower connection for everyone.

So next time you find that your Echo keeps pausing, it’s worth checking to see if it directly correlates to someone streaming on another device.

4. Your Echo is Pausing because it is Too Far Away from your Router

One known solution that Amazon Echo owners have shared when they experience problems with playback is to move their Echo closer to their router.

If your Echo speaker is too far from your router the signal strength may be too weak for a solid connection to the device. Your Echo may connect, but intermittently, causing songs to repeatedly pause whilst you are listening.

For optimal performance, it’s recommended that your Echo speaker be no further than 30 ft from the router.

Also, it’s worth limiting how many large appliances (such as fridges, ovens, etc.), walls, and other signal-interrupting obstacles there are between the Echo and your router as this can disrupt the playback of songs.

5. Your Amazon Echo keeps Pausing because the Alexa App Needs Updating

When experiencing issues with the playback of music with your Echo speaker, one of the first things you should check is whether you need to update the Alexa app.

Keeping the app updated will help fix any bugs or other performance malfunctions and if you are running an older version it will explain why your Echo keeps pausing your music.

To update the Alexa app on an iOS device, follow these steps:

1. Open the App Store on your Apple device.
2. Tap on your profile icon in the top right of your screen.
3. Refresh the screen by swiping downwards.
4. Check to see if any updates are available for Alexa by scrolling through the list of available updates.

Alternatively, to update the Alexa app on your Android device follow these steps:

1. Open the Google Play Store.
2. Type ‘Alexa’ in the search bar and hit enter.
3. Next to the app’s icon, check to see if there is an update available.

Once the Alexa app has been updated on your device you should no longer experience any unwanted stops or pauses in playback.

6. Problems with your Bluetooth Connection or AUX Cable are Causing Glitches on your Echo

Other than connecting via Wi-Fi, there are 2 other ways that smart device owners can listen to music or podcasts using their Echo speaker; via Bluetooth and via an AUX cable.

Bluetooth connections can be less stable than Wi-Fi connections, as they are much more susceptible to interference from household obstacles, as already mentioned.

Distance also plays a huge factor with Bluetooth connections and if your Echo speaker is located too far from your smart device then the playback will simply cease.

To have the best listening experience, Amazon recommends that both your smart device and Echo speaker are within 20-30 ft of each other.

Any further than this, you risk your Bluetooth connection becoming too weak to play any podcasts, audiobooks, or music.

When connecting to your Amazon Echo via AUX, pauses in playback can be caused by the state of the cable.

• Firstly, check for any kinks in the cable or any tears in the protective external coating as these visual signs will indicate that the cable is damaged.
• Then check the connection point on the speaker and see if it is loose.
• If you notice any of these defects then you know it is time to purchase a new AUX cable.

7. Your Amazon Echo is Struggling because of the Streaming Service you are Using

Some Echo owners have found that certain streaming services, such as Spotify or Amazon Music, tend to pause more often than others when they are listening to their speaker.

Unfortunately, there isn’t really a quick solution to this. You can, however, try switching which streaming service you are using to see if your Echo continues to pause or glitch.

You can also check the status of the streaming service to see if they are having a problem on their end. You can do this by conducting a quick search on your web browser or checking the service’s Twitter feed. 

General Pros & Cons of Amazon Echo

Pros:

Amazon Echo is, in essence, a voice-operated speaker. However, that does not do this piece of smart technology justice.

The ever-expanding list of features allows Echo users to control more than just music. BassHeadSpeakers.com explains that:

“The Echo doubles as some kind of mini household artificial intelligence. It can switch on house lamps before getting out of bed, turning on the fan or space heater, or diming the lights from the couch to watch a movie – all controlled with your voice.

[Source:Bassheadspeakers.com]

Compatibility is key to the Amazon Echo’s success. Its ability to integrate and control many popular streaming services has meant that users find that the Echo is more than up to the task of delivering specific requests.

Cons:

• Amazon Echo skills sometimes need to be disabled and re-enabled to fix glitches.
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth strength can interfere with functionality.
• Damaged cables can cause playback problems.
• Playback can be interrupted if the service being used is experiencing problems.
• The Alexa app needs to be updated to prevent problems and issues.

Sources

Amazon Echo’s Music Keeps Stopping Or Buffering During Playback

10 Common Amazon Alexa Issues and How to Fix Them