How to Fix Voice Commands Not Working on Your Smart TV

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Most modern smart TVs now come with voice assistants that let you control your TV with little to no input from the user. This is common on smart TVs with the Google Voice assistant on Android and Google TVs. While the convenience is great, it can also be annoying when the function stops working.

So, what do you do when the voice commands for your smart TV just stop working? Is there anything that you can do to fix this issue? Is the issue fixable? To answer all of these questions and more, we have listed several troubleshooting methods that you can follow to solve the issue of the voice commands not working on your smart TV.

Fix Voice Commands Not Working with Smart TV

Now, for the voice commands not to work properly on your smart TV, there could be various issues or problems. There could be many issues, such as poor internet service, microphones not working, software issues, or it could also be that the voice command setup was done incorrectly.

Here is a list of troubleshooting steps that you need to follow one by one to fix the voice commands not working with your smart TV.

Restart your Smart TV

The first and foremost troubleshooting step is to simply restart your smart TV. A lot of the time, a simple restart of the smart TV can fix a lot of issues.

To restart the TV, press and hold the power button on your TV remote and select the restart option on the screen. Once your smart TV restarts, try using the voice commands again and see if your TV responds.

Perform a Power Cycle for your TV

If the restart step didn’t fix the voice commands not working with your smart TV, it’s time to perform a power cycle for your TV. To do this, simply switch off your smart TV and then disconnect the TV’s power plug from the power outlet.

Let the TV sit unplugged for a few minutes. After 3 to 5 minutes have passed, plug the TV back into its power source and switch it on. Now, you should be able to make use of the voice commands right away.

Are your Remote’s Batteries Dead?

There can be issues with the basic functioning of your TV when its remote has a low battery or low charge (in the case of rechargeable TV remotes).

If the batteries are low, replace them with fresh ones. But if the batteries are still good, simply remove the batteries from the remote and re-insert them after a few minutes. This acts as a soft rest for your remote, and chances are that the remote works right away as usual.

Test the voice commands to see if everything works as normal. If not, you can check out the next step.

Check if the Microphone is Muted

One big mistake that a lot of people make is not checking whether the microphone has been muted. If you have muted the audio on your smart TV, try changing the level of the sounds or pressing the unmute button on the remote, if your remote has such a button. Once you have confirmed that the microphone is no longer on mute, use a voice command and see if the TV responds to it.

Clean Up Your TV Remote

Remotes are delicate devices that can easily get damaged and dirty. Use a soft, clean, and dry cloth to clean the remote entirely. Also, clean around the edges of the buttons so that no dirt is causing the button to either not be pressed or be pressed continuously, which can cause the voice commands to not be invoked.

How to Pair Google TV Streamer Voice Remote

So, give the remote a nice wipe down and then test to see if the voice commands work with your smart TV or not.

Ensure Nothing is Blocking the TV’s Built-In Microphone

Many TVs out there have a microphone present into the TV. This microphone is present at the front panel of the TV. So, if you have certain objects that are in the way of the microphone’s path, move the objects to another place. Also, you can take a soft cloth and wipe down the section where the microphone is. Thai can help remove dust and dirt that might be blocking or covering the TV’s microphone.

Check if the Voice Assistant is enabled on your TV

A lot of Android TVs and Google TVs come with Google Voice Assistant built in. If you’ve not configured the Voice Assistant on your TV, then the Assistant will not work, regardless of how many times you try to invoke it.

To configure or set up Google Assistant on your Android TV, do the following.

Open the Settings menu on your Android TV
Navigate and select Device Preferences, and then choose Google Assistant.
If Google Assistant is not set up, follow the instructions on the screen. You will be asked to sign in with your Google Account.
Additionally, it will also ask you to speak to the TV a few times so that it can recognize your voice when you say “Ok Google”.

Use the Right Word to Wake the Voice Assistant

A lot of smart TVs that have a voice assistant require you to use a particular phrase or words. Using the wrong words or incomplete words will not make the voice assistant active. Most Android or Google TVs will require you to say the words Ok Google. Samsung smart TVs will require you to say Hey Bixby and for Amazon’s Fire TVs, you will have to say Hey Alexa.

Check for Software Updates on your Smart TV

Now, it is true that software updates on smart TVs are not regular. However, it could be possible that your TV’s manufacturer might have pushed out a software update that could help fix the issue of the voice commands not working with your particular smart TV. So, checking for software updates as well as app updates on your smart TV can help fix issues that you might be facing with the particular app or the OS in general.

Perform a Factory Reset

If, at all, none of the above troubleshooting methods have worked for you, your last ray of hope is to perform a factory reset of your smart TV. Yes, bringing the TV back to its factory defaults will help you to configure the TV from the start, and you should be able to make use of the voice commands right away without any issues.

Before you go ahead to factory reset your smart TV, just make sure to keep track of all the accounts, apps, and passwords, as it becomes easier for you to have everything set up once the reset process has been completed. If you do not know how to reset your particular TV, we have guides that show you how to reset a Roku TV, an Android TV, a Google TV, and a Samsung smart TV.

Closing Thoughts

This concludes the various steps that you can take to troubleshoot the issue of the voice commands not working on your smart TV. Voice commands are a great way to perform different functions with your TV without the need for you to manually control or navigate through various menus and settings.

Do you use voice commands with your smart TV regularly? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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