4 of the Weirdest Alexa Habits Users Encounter

When Amazon Alexa launched in 2014, it was one of the most prominent examples of the then-burgeoning smart assistant industry. It could only handle simple functions and commands, but executed those commands correctly more often than not. However, with the advent of Alexa+, the new generative “smart” version of Amazon’s AI-powered assistant, users began to notice erratic behavior and annoying issues, ranging from simple issues like incorrect directions to bizarre and disturbing responses to unrelated prompts.

Whether connecting to the Alexa framework through a compatible Amazon Echo speaker or their smartphones, users have attempted to use the new version of the assistant in the same way they usually do, only to be constantly interrupted and inconvenienced. The situation is already bad enough that some users are opting out of Alexa+ altogether to restore the assistant to its simpler, more responsive state and stop experiencing these strange habits.

A basic function for Alexa and most other smart assistant frameworks is to search for nearby locations and provide real-time directions for getting there, whether on foot or by car. Getting accurate directions isn’t just helpful; This is a borderline safety requirement in case someone becomes lost. However, some Alexa+ users found that it was too easy to get the map wrong.

A user on the r/Alexa subreddit noted that, among other issues with Alexa+, the assistant can’t seem to provide them with consistent locations or directions. For example, they asked for the address of the local post office in their city. Instead of providing that, Alexa returned the address of a completely unrelated law firm in another city. The user also tried to find the different branches of a particular chain store in their city, and although Alexa found the right store, it only provided information about the neighboring city. The user added that both of these issues are reproducible, meaning they are not just one-off issues.

Alexa is meant to serve as the central point of a smart home setup, taking your commands from supported devices like smart speakers and smart displays and automatically turning on, off and scheduling other connected devices. This was one of Alexa’s first features when the framework launched. However, since upgrading to Alexa+, users are reporting an increased frequency of syncing and smart home connectivity issues.

In another r/Alexa thread, a user who previously had the habit of asking Alexa to turn off the lights in their house in the morning now has to issue the command multiple times for it to register. Additionally, if they try to set a scheduled command such as “turn off this light in 10 minutes”, rather than actually doing it, Alexa seems to be trapped in a feedback loop of creating a unique routine and confirming it, rather than actually planning and activating the feature. The user in the previous thread also experienced issues of this nature, asking Alexa to turn on a connected light via smart plugs, but Alexa claimed she couldn’t find any of the ten smart plugs in her home.

Another of Alexa’s fundamental functions is to answer simple questions. You can ask it a question, it will do a quick search online, then it will return the first answer it gets. It’s a convenient way to get quick information if you don’t have your phone or PC handy, but you’re relying on the assumption that Alexa gives accurate information. Users have reported receiving not only inaccurate answers, but also bizarre answers to completely unrelated questions.

One r/Alexa user claimed that her Alexa assistant, relayed through a single Echo Dot speaker, began giving her somewhat creepy answers to her harmless questions and commands. When they tried to ask Alexa what time it was, Alexa responded, “Have you ever considered donating your blood? Like all your blood?” On another occasion, when their Echo Dot had a pulsing light indicating a notification, the user asked Alexa what it was, and Alexa explained the concept of the Illuminati. The user also notes that English is not his native language and he previously had no problem issuing commands in his native language and receiving responses in the same language, but recently Alexa only responds in English and with a non-standard voice.

It goes without saying that the whole point of having a smart assistant like Alexa is to control devices and receive information with nothing more than text or voice commands. Whether you use the obvious commands or some of Alexa’s lesser-known commands, they have to actually work for the whole system to work. Previous iterations of Alexa were generally good at receiving commands on the first try and responding in kind. However, it appears that Alexa+’s AI integration has made the assistant less stable, causing it to completely ignore commands.

In a March 2026 Wired article, writer Reece Rogers described his frustrations with Alexa+ and its inability to properly parse its commands. He tried to request music from artist Lucy Dacus, but instead of playing it, Alexa searched YouTube for “Play a song by Lucy Dacus.” When he specifically said he wanted to hear a Lucy Dacus song, Alexa crashed and had to restart. Stranger still, when he asked for a Charli XCX song, he instead got the unrelated Sombr’s “Back to Friends.” Back on r/Alexa, a user repeatedly tried to issue a command to the assistant, but the assistant interrupted him with “I don’t know how to help you with this,” even though he hadn’t completed his command.

If you’re having issues with Alexa+ and want to return to some semblance of normalcy in your smart home setup, the best solution may be to unsubscribe from the service completely and revert your Alexa assistant to its previous configuration.

Fortunately, it’s not that difficult to return Alexa to its pre-Alexa+ settings. All you have to do is say “Alexa, end early access.” This will opt you out of the early access version of Alexa+ and return all connected Alexa devices to their previous state. If Alexa is not parsing your voice commands correctly, you can also open the Alexa app on your smartphone and type “I want to unsubscribe from Alexa plus” in the input field. Alexa may ask for confirmation afterward, but just answer “yes” and it should be back to normal.

Please note, however, that your ability to unsubscribe may be limited to the Alexa+ early access period. As Reece Rogers’ Wired article notes, all Amazon Prime subscribers were automatically opted into early access to Alexa+ at the start. If Alexa+ were to become the default, this opt-out option may stop working. In that case, you might want to consider whether Alexa is still needed in your home.