One of the more confusing moments after receiving my first Amazon Echo Dot was when its light ring started flashing yellow, signaling… well, what exactly?
In fact, Echo devices like the echo standardsTHE Echo pointthe new EcoPopand the Echo show it can display flashing indicator lights in seven different colors, and they can be quite confusing, even aggravating, if you don’t know what they mean or how to make them stop.
Luckily, cracking the flashing lights on your Echo device is simple, and once you know the code, the lights can alert you when something is wrong with your Echo, let you know when you have incoming messages, notify you when Alexa is listening, and more. .
This story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart speakers.
Flashing yellow light
Ben Patterson/Foundry
Let’s start with the light that confused me the most when I got my first Echo (the ever-popular Echo Dot). Generally accompanied by a cheery “bum, boom!” alert tone, flashing yellow light lets you know when Alexa has a notification for you or if you missed a reminder.
One of the most common times you’ll see the yellow light is when Alexa wants to tell you that a package from Amazon has been delivered, or when Amazon is about to ship a “Subscribe and Save” item.
Just say “Alexa, tell me my notifications” to hear your Alexa alerts and the yellow light will disappear once Alexa reads them to you. If you want to delete all your notifications without listening to them, just say “Alexa, delete all my notifications”.
Solid red light
Ben Patterson/Foundry
Here’s another common and confusing Echo light: the mysterious solid red light. The most likely culprit for the red light is a pressed mute and/or camera off button. Press the microphone mute button again and the red light should disappear.
Seeing the red light, but no one pressed the mic mute button? If so, the red light indicates that there is some kind of error, such as a faulty Wi-Fi connection or an issue with Alexa.
Light blue with rotating light blue segment
Ben Patterson/Foundry
This is pretty simple. Whenever you talk to Alexa, a blue light will appear with a blue segment pointing in the direction she is listening.
You will also see the blue light when Alexa is processing what you just said. If there’s no blue light, Alexa isn’t listening (or she hasn’t heard you).
Rotating orange light
Ben Patterson/Foundry
When you first connect a brand new Echo speaker or display, the rotating orange light will let you know that the Echo device is in setup mode.
If you see the orange light spinning and you are Not Setting up your Echo for the first time means the device is trying to connect to the internet, indicating you may be experiencing an internet service outage.
Flashing or rotating green light
Ben Patterson/Foundry
A flashing green light indicates you have an incoming call on your Echo device. Just ask Alexa to answer the call or say “Alexa, ignore” to hide the caller.
If the green light is spinning instead of pulsing, that means someone I just did a “drop in” on your Echo device or that your Echo just started a call (either because you asked it to call someone or because it heard you wrong). To end the contact or call, just say “Hang up”.
Purple light
Ben Patterson/Foundry
Putting your Echo speaker into “do not disturb” mode (which blocks incoming calls and notifications, but not timers or alarms) will cause a purple light to flash briefly, while a solid purple light while you’re initially setting up an Echo means that something went wrong during the wifi setup process.
Rotating white light
Ben Patterson/Foundry
You have lit Guard Alexa before leaving home? If so, this is why there’s a spinning white light on your Echo speaker. Just disable Alexa Guard to make the white light go away.
The only other time you’ll see a light on your Echo device is when you’re adjusting the volume.
Updated June 30, 2023 to ensure Amazon didn’t change anything and to add a few more details.
Amazon Echo Show 15
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