Who doesn't love a little light show? In addition to playing music, setting alarms, and ordering pizza, your Amazon Echo can also entertain you with a colorful light display. But what do those different colors mean?
From blue to yellow to red, we'll decode the Alexa status light language for you so that you can better understand your Echo device.
Most Echo speakers feature a light ring, apart from the Echo Pop which has a short curved light on the top edge. Echo Show displays use a light bar that runs along the bottom of the screen.
Conversation Colors
There are colors that show up when Alexa is listening to your command or engaging you in conversation.
No Light
If your Echo is plugged in but currently has no lights showing, that's a good sign. This means your speaker is on and listening for a voice command. However, if you see a colored light ring on your device, here's what the Echo is trying to tell you.
Cyan on Blue Light
You might see your Echo glow cyan on blue once you say "Alexa." If your Echo's light is a steady blue, this means Alexa heard the wake work and is listening to your request.
In case Alexa doesn't hear you clearly or misinterprets what you're asking for, there are plenty of ways to improve Alexa's communication skills so that she can better understand you.
If you see a spinning blue light, Alexa is processing your request. For example, if you ask Alexa to play a song, the blue light will spin while the Echo searches for that song. The blue light will then turn off once your request is complete.
White Light
An Echo uses white light to display any changes in volume, whether you press the plus or minus buttons on the device or say, "Alexa, volume up/down."
The spinning white light tells you that Alexa Guard is on, meaning your device will listen and report any suspicious noises.
Alexa Guard can also send alerts to your phone if it hears something suspicious.
Using Alexa routines triggered by sounds, you can also set your lights to turn on and off or have any other smart home devices perform an action when the Echo device detects a specific sound.
Setup and Troubleshooting Colors
These lights mean your Echo is being set up, or there's an issue with its Wi-Fi connectivity.
Teal Light
If your Echo has a spinning teal light, you've recently plugged in your device or restarted it. A spinning teal light means your Echo is starting up—its light will turn orange when it's ready for setup.
Orange Light
An orange light means your Echo is in setup mode or is trying to connect to the internet. You might also see an orange light when you're setting up your Echo for the first time or if you've performed a factory reset.
Red Light
If your Echo is showing a red light, this could mean one of two things: you're having Wi-Fi trouble, and the Echo has lost internet connection, or your device has its microphone disabled and cannot listen for commands. If you have an Echo Show, a red light could also mean that your device's camera is disabled.
Purple Light
Echo devices shine purple if they encounter an error during the Wi-Fi setup that stops the setup process. You might also see a purple light if your Echo is on Do Not Disturb mode.
Similar to Do Not Disturb features on your phone, Alexa's Do Not Disturb mode blocks all notifications, such as calls, messages, and reminders. It does not block alarms or timers.
To turn Do Not Disturb on or off, head to your Alexa app for Android or iOS, open Devices > Echo & Alexa > [Your device's name] > Do Not Disturb and toggle the feature on or off.
If Alexa is not responding or continues to display an orange, red, or purple light even after you check your Wi-Fi settings, your Echo device needs a restart. This can happen for a variety of reasons, from a Wi-Fi issue to a more complex issue with the device itself.
Notifications
These lights mean your Echo is trying to tell you something.
Yellow Light
If your Echo is flashing yellow, this means you have a new message, notification, or reminder waiting for you. Ask, "Alexa, what are my notifications?" or "Alexa, what are my messages?" to hear what Alexa has to tell you.
You might also see a yellow light if your Alexa has a status update about an incoming Amazon Prime delivery.
Green Light
A pulsing green light on your Echo means you have an incoming call. Someone could be calling you through the Alexa app or from another Echo device. You can say, "Alexa, answer this call," or you can deny it. You will see solid green light shine from your Echo whenever you're in the middle of a call.
If you see a spinning green light, this means that your Echo is in Drop In mode. Drop In allows approved contacts to "drop in" for a call or video chat to your Echo or Echo Show at any time. Don't worry, you'll still hear a chime before any call comes through, and there is a slight connection lag to give you some privacy.
If you don't remember turning on your Echo's Drop In feature but see a spinning green light, head to your Alexa app and check your conversation history (Settings > Alexa Privacy > Review Voice History) to see if Alexa misheard you and turned on Drop In.
Decoding Lights on the Echo Show
The Echo Show devices have all the features of an Echo device, with a few added extras. From answering your questions to playing music and videos, the Echo Show can do it all but with a little bit of style.
From the Amazon Echo Show 10 with its motion-activated screen that will follow you around the room to the Echo Show 15 with its larger screen, there is an Echo Show device for everyone. Every Echo Show device, aside from the Show 15, features a light strip in place of a light ring. The Echo Show 15 is the only Echo device that has no status lights and uses on-screen alerts instead.
Here are the different lights you might see on your Echo Show and what they mean:
- A solid blue line will shine once the Show hears its wake word. A cyan spot will pulse, indicating the direction of the speaker.
- A solid red line means the device's microphone and camera are turned off. After a while, the red light will turn off, and a microphone-off symbol will appear in the upper right corner of the screen.
- A solid orange line means your Echo Show is having trouble connecting to the internet.
- A solid purple line means your Echo Show is in Do Not Disturb Mode. After a few minutes, the solid purple line will disappear, and you'll see a simple moon in the upper right corner of the screen.
How to Turn Off Alexa's Lights
You might not want Alexa to shine a light each time you have a call, notification, or connectivity issue. Maybe Alexa's lights keep you up in the bedroom, or you're worried about them waking a nearby child.
To disable some lights, you can head into the Alexa app to change light settings. For example, to keep Alexa's yellow lights from glowing, go to Settings > Notifications > Amazon Shopping to turn off notifications for items in transit. You can do the same thing for the green light by disabling the Call and Drop In features.
However, you can't turn off the orange, red, or purple troubleshooting lights because they're designed to alert you of a problem with your device.
Making Better Sense of the Amazon Echo Lights
The different colored lights on your Amazon Echo can be helpful in understanding the current status of your device. From a green light pulsing to indicate an incoming call to a red light that means the microphone is turned off, the lights can tell you a lot about what's going on with your Echo.
By learning about the different lights, you can make better sense of the information your Echo is trying to communicate. From playing music and videos to placing calls and controlling your smart home, the Echo is a powerful device that can make your life easier. So get out there and start exploring all your Amazon Echo offers.