Alexa down: Amazon Echo users having trouble using smart speaker app

Amazon Alexa is back online now after suffering an apparent outage earlier today.

Users were left unable to use their Echo smart speakers after Alexa went down around 8am on Wednesday, September 26.

According to website Down Detector, which tracks online outages, people had been reporting widespread difficulty in connecting to the server, with users in the UK, Europe and Australia all reporting problems.

Amazon says the network is operating as normal now.

A spokesperson from the company told the Standard: "This morning we had an issue that impacted some Alexa customers' ability to interact with the service. The Alexa service is now operating normally."

People had also been reporting difficulties in logging on.

The Amazon Echo smart speaker was designed for customers to shop Amazon’s products using their voice.

On Down Detector, one person wrote: "My echodot is down in Sydney. I too keep getting a 'Sorry I'm having trouble understanding right now' message."

While another added: "All Alexa devices down today in my house. Internet ok, reset router and changed WiFi Password.

"Updated WiFi on Echo dots from Alexa App but they just Red Ring with loss of connection message."

Echo allows people to turn on lights, find out the latest weather reports and latest news - but this latest issue means users have suffered with lights and alarms not going off.

It comes after Amazon announced a whole raft of devices powered by Alexa, from a smart microwave to an updated Echo Show device and the Echo Input.