A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by a first computing device that (i) is in a sleep state and (ii) is configured to disable the sleep state and to respond to the voice of the user when the user speaks a particular, predefined hotword, audio data that corresponds to an utterance of a command that is preceded by the particular, predefined hotword; while the first computing device gives the impression to the user that it has remained in the sleep state: determining, by the first computing device based on the audio data, a first hotword score corresponding to a likelihood that the utterance includes the particular, predefined hotword, and transmitting a data packet by the first computing device to a second computing device that (i) is in short-range electronic communication with the first computing device, and (ii) is also configured to respond to the voice of the user when the user speaks the particular, predefined hotword, wherein the data packet includes the first hotword score; initiating, by the first computing device, performance of speech recognition on a portion of the audio data that corresponds to the command; receiving an additional data packet from the second computing device, wherein the additional data packet includes a second hotword score, which is determined by the second computing device, the second hotword score corresponding to a likelihood that the utterance includes the particular, predefined hotword; comparing the first hotword score and the second hotword score; and based on comparing the first hotword score and the second hotword score and determining that the first hotword score is less than the second hotword score, stopping the performance of the speech recognition on the portion of the audio data that corresponds to the command and determining, by the first computing device, to set the first computing device into the sleep state, wherein initiating performance of speech recognition on the portion of the audio data that corresponds to the command is performed prior to receiving the additional data packet. receiving, by a first computing device that (i) is in a sleep state and (ii) is configured to disable the sleep state and to respond to the voice of the user when the user speaks a particular, predefined hotword, audio data that corresponds to an utterance of a command that is preceded by the particular, predefined hotword; while the first computing device gives the impression to the user that it has remained in the sleep state: determining, by the first computing device based on the audio data, a first hotword score corresponding to a likelihood that the utterance includes the particular, predefined hotword, and transmitting a data packet by the first computing device to a second computing device that (i) is in short-range electronic communication with the first computing device, and (ii) is also configured to respond to the voice of the user when the user speaks the particular, predefined hotword, wherein the data packet includes the first hotword score; initiating, by the first computing device, performance of speech recognition on a portion of the audio data that corresponds to the command; receiving an additional data packet from the second computing device, wherein the additional data packet includes a second hotword score, which is determined by the second computing device, the second hotword score corresponding to a likelihood that the utterance includes the particular, predefined hotword; comparing the first hotword score and the second hotword score; and based on comparing the first hotword score and the second hotword score and determining that the first hotword score is less than the second hotword score, stopping the performance of the speech recognition on the portion of the audio data that corresponds to the command and determining, by the first determining, by the first computing device based on the audio data, a first hotword score corresponding to a likelihood that the utterance includes the particular, predefined hotword, and transmitting a data packet by the first computing device to a second computing device that (i) is in short-range electronic communication with the first computing device, and (ii) is also configured to respond to the voice of the user when the user speaks the particular, predefined hotword, wherein the data packet includes the first hotword score; initiating, by the first computing device, performance of speech recognition on a portion of the audio data that corresponds to the command; receiving an additional data packet from the second computing device, wherein the additional data packet includes a second hotword score, which is determined by the second computing device, the second hotword score corresponding to a likelihood that the utterance includes the particular, predefined hotword; comparing the first hotword score and the second hotword score; and based on comparing the first hotword score and the second hotword score and determining that the first hotword score is less than the second hotword score, stopping the performance of the speech recognition on the portion of the audio data that corresponds to the command and determining, by the first computing device, to set the first computing device into the sleep state,