By now, a majority of people are familiar with Amazon Alexa. It is an increasingly ubiquitous digital assistant from Amazon. However, not everyone may be aware of what Alexa is or the extent of its capabilities. Alexa powers that familiar woman’s voice that emanates from integrated devices such as smart speakers.
It answers your queries, provides entertainment, and performs tasks. One question that is popular with most people who own an Alexa-powered device is whether it has to be plugged into work. Well, we have just the answer for you!
Alexa devices have to be continuously plugged into a wall outlet to switch on and function properly. Alexa-enabled devices usually require a constant power supply to connect to Wi-Fi and subsequently process voice commands. This is because it doesn’t have an internal battery for power back up.
In this article, we will have a look at whether Alexa needs to be plugged in, whether it can run without being plugged in, whether it has a battery, whether you can leave Alexa plugged in all the time, and what happens if you unplug your Alexa. So read on to find out more. This will certainly be an enlightening read for you!
Does Alexa Have To Be Plugged Into Work?
You may not be tech-savvy but if your home has Amazon Echo, Dot, or Echo Plus, then you are probably aware of Alexa. Alexa is a virtual assistant AI that was developed by the retail giant Amazon and has been in operation for a couple of years now.
Alexa is a top productivity AI tool that usually comes installed on several devices and gadgets. These Alexa-enabled devices are among the most popular in the market today owing to their outstanding functionality.
Alexa functions similarly, albeit typically better than Siri from Apple or Google Assistant. Most of the smart home products from Amazon such as Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Spot, Echo Show, or Amazon Fire TV are integrated with Alexa.
Before we can answer the main question, we need to explore how Alexa works.
Interaction with Alexa is mainly conversational and it can answer all manner of questions. It answers your questions by listening to your voice commands and then converting them to text. This functions as a simple voice-to-text mechanism.
Alexa takes the text query and requests an answer from Amazon servers which comes back as text. Once Alexa has the answer, the Echo converts the text to audio and plays it through its inbuilt speakers.
Alexa possesses a small processor, microphone, and a speaker. The processor converts text to audio and vice versa, as well as performs tasks such as playing music. This whole process requires a constant supply of power.
Now to definitively answer the question, Alexa needs to be plugged into your wall outlet at all times to work. This fact is undebatable.
A constant supply of power is essential for any Alexa to switch on and function properly. In addition to this, a stable Wi-Fi connection is a must for your Alexa-device to work.
When your Alexa-enabled device loses power, it will turn off. All connection to the Amazon cloud is severed meaning the device can’t have Alexa listen to or respond to your voice commands.
We should however mention that some third-party companies have come up with compatible battery packs for Alexa devices such as the Echo Dot so that you don’t have to rely on a hardwired system.
Can Alexa Run Without Being Plugged In?
Alexa cannot run without being plugged in. Without a constant power supply to your Alexa device, it will not be able to understand when you try to access Alexa using voice commands. In short, without power, Alexa cannot be summoned through voice commands. The Alexa-enabled device will also be unable to talk to Amazon without an internet connection, which is where Alexa really resides.
Without constant power and a stable internet connection, your Alexa device is no better than a rock, not even one of those rocks you use to hide home keys. Put plainly, your Alexa-enabled device is nothing without the power of the Amazon cloud to bring it to life!
It is however quite crucial to note that some Alexa-enabled devices can work and last for days if they are connected to a power source. For this, all you will need is a USB battery pack that will power the device making it possible for Alexa to listen to and execute your voice commands.
Does Alexa Have a Battery?
Alexa does not come with an in-built battery. This means that it always has to be plugged into the wall for it to work properly. While Amazon does offer a battery powered-version, the Echo Tap, it doesn’t have the always-listening capabilities that make the genuine Echo and Echo Dot so great.
So in essence the only Alexa-enabled device that has a rechargeable battery is the Echo Tap. All other devices are corded and have to be plugged into an outlet for them to work.
However, as we have already mentioned earlier in the article, some devices such as the Dot can be powered using a USB battery pack.
But all in all, Alexa doesn’t have an in-built rechargeable battery!
Do You Leave Alexa Plugged In All the Time?
Luckily, Alexa uses hardly any electricity when it’s not actively in use. Since it doesn’t consume that much electricity, you need not worry about it too much.
So to answer the question, it is intended to stay plugged in and always on so it’s probably better if you just leave it plugged in all the time. There’s no harm in doing so.
Should I Unplug Alexa at Night?
Your Alexa will automatically go to sleep when it’s not in use. It’s a personal preference whether to unplug it at night. You can set up a Do Not Disturb time when you expect to be asleep at night. There’s no harm in leaving it plugged in.
What Happens if I Unplug My Alexa?
The simple answer to this is nothing. The device is useless if it isn’t plugged into an electrical outlet. So if you unplug your Alexa, nothing will happen. It will just boot up again once you plug it back in!
Conclusion:
All in all, there’s no harm in leaving your Alexa plugged into the power outlet. It is designed to be plugged into work. For some devices like the Dot, you can consider a battery pack to power it.