Increase the Notification Volume on Alexa

How to Increase the Notification Volume on Alexa

You turn an Echo up and the music gets louder, but the notification chime, the kitchen timer and the morning alarm stay as quiet as before. That is because Alexa keeps two separate volumes on every device: one for media and speech, and one shared by alarms, timers and notifications. Saying "Alexa, volume up" only changes the first.

This matters most in a home automation setup, where a routine announces the doorbell, a door left open or a water leak, and the warning is easy to miss.

Method 1 - Ask Alexa

Speak to the device you want to change:

• "Alexa, set the notification volume to 8"
• "Alexa, increase the notification volume"
• "Alexa, set the alarm volume to 8"

The level runs from 0 to 10. Because alarms, timers and notifications share one level, any of these phrases changes all three.

Method 2 - The Alexa App

The app is the better choice when you have several devices, or when the device is in another room.

1. Open the Alexa app and tap Devices at the bottom.
2. Filter the list to Echo & Alexa devices, using the device type drop-down or filter button at the top.
3. Tap the device you want to change.
4. Tap the settings gear.
5. Scroll to the General section and tap Sounds.
6. Move the Alarms, Timers and Notifications slider to the level you want.

Amazon rearranges the app from time to time, but the slider has stayed under the device's Sounds setting for years, so look there if the steps above have moved.

Method 3 - On an Echo Show

Swipe down from the top of the screen, tap Settings, then Sounds, and move the alarms, timers and notifications slider.

It Is Set Per Device

The notification volume belongs to each Echo, not to your account. Turning it up on the kitchen Echo does nothing for the one in the bedroom. Go through each device in turn in the app, or ask each one by voice. A device you set up later starts at the default level, so check it too.

Still Too Quiet or Silent?

• Do Not Disturb - notifications are held back while it is on, and a scheduled Do Not Disturb can be on at night without you noticing. Check it under the device's settings in the app.
• Ascending alarm - under Sounds, alarms can start quietly and build up. Turn it off if you want the full level at once.
• Announcements - an announcement made by a routine or by another Echo is speech, so it uses the media volume, not the notification volume. If an automation announces something, turn up the main volume as well, or add a Volume step to the start of the routine.
• Sound choice - a softer chime is easy to miss. The Sounds page also lets you pick a different sound for alarms and notifications.

Summary

• Alarms, timers and notifications share one volume, separate from media
• Change it with "Alexa, set the notification volume to 8"
• Or in the app: Devices, Echo & Alexa, the device, the gear, Sounds, Alarms, Timers and Notifications
• It is per device, so repeat it for each Echo