Smart Home: What do the Colors mean on an Echo Dot?

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The colors come from the illuminated ring of the Echo Dot*. It informs users about the status of the device. In practice, there is often confusion because there are more than ten different status displays. 

The exact knowledge of the colors is helpful to understand the functioning of the device at a glance. This guide provides information about the different colors, explains common errors and shows what can be changed on the illuminated ring.

What is the light ring and what is it important for?

On the Echo Dot, the light ring is located at the bottom. It can pulsate, glow constantly or blink. What looks like a pretty gimmick is well-thought-out: Its color and behavior show what the device is currently doing.

First of all, it informs you about the status of communication with Alexa. It can also display messages. Or the fact that something is wrong with the connection. The light ring is therefore an error code and status indicator in one.

That’s why it’s good if you know as much as possible about them: the faster you learn to identify the colors, the faster you can intervene when problems arise.

Colors as a communication aid

When you communicate with Alexa via the Echo Dot, you will appreciate a short feedback. After all, only then will you know whether your command or question has arrived. The manufacturer Amazon uses light rings for the feedback.

This light ring is located at the very bottom of the Echo Dot. It goes once around the device. If you can see the speaker at all, you will be able to see the glow from everywhere.

In principle, it does not differ from that of the larger Echo. Neither in the colors nor in its function are there any differences. So if you know your way around the Echo, you’ll be able to handle the Echo Dot as well.

In total, the devices can display more than ten different states. First an overview of all possible colors:

What colors are available on the Echo Dot?

• White: Volume changed
• Green: Incoming message
• Cyan / Blue: Function displays
• Yellow: Older message not yet read
• Red: Micro off
• Orange: WiFi error
• Purple: Do not disturb mode active

If you’re wondering how the colors are set up, they’re not. They are inherently present in every Echo Dot. As soon as you put it into operation, the light ring also starts its work.

The colors on the Echo Dot and their meaning – with action guide

White

• Constant: This ring appears whenever you change the volume.

Here’s what you should do:

• Wait and see. Once you have made the setting, the light goes out by itself.

Green

• Turn: Drop In / Call in progress.
• Pulsing: A call comes in. It does not matter whether it is a voice call or a video.

Here’s what you should do:

• You can now accept or reject the call. This works with two very simple commands: Either you accept the call, then say “Alexa, accept the call.” Or you refuse, “Alexa, ignore the call.”
• If you do not want to be disturbed by the Echo Dot for a longer period of time, you can turn off its communication option completely. Again, go to the Alexa app. In the “Settings”, you will find the sub-item “Communication”. Select the Echo Dot from all Alexa devices. Use the device settings to deactivate the communication. It will remain like this until you set something else.
• Alternatively, you can set a silent period in which you do not want to be disturbed. Alexa will then not blink to indicate the call.

Blue / Blue green (Cyan)

• Blue glow: Alexa is listening. Starts whenever you say “Alexa …”.
• Walking ring with Cyan: Alexa executes the command.
• Flashing during initial setup: once during startup. This may also occur if the Echo Dot needs to reboot for some reason.

Here’s what you should do:

• Wait and see. These are purely function displays. They go away by themselves when the command has been processed / the Echo Dot is ready for operation after setup.

Yellow

• Pulsing at intervals of several seconds: Message received (drop in).

Here’s what you should do:

• Ask Alexa about the message. As long as you don’t, the artificial intelligence will assume that you don’t know about the message yet. So it will inform you about it until you issue one of the following commands:
• “Alexa, what are my messages? / what did I miss? / play my messages.”
• If you don’t want to know the message at all or you already know what it contains, you can also have all messages deleted: “Alexa, delete my messages.” Attention, then everything else in your inbox will be gone too (voice and text).
• When an order is placed, the yellow light indicates that its status has been updated.
• This is an additional function, so it can be disabled. This can be done with the help of the Alexa app. There you will find the corresponding setting in the “Amazon Shopping” menu.

Red

• Constant: Microphone has been turned off manually. Alexa is deactivated and neither records nor listens in. Likewise, the microphone button on the Echo Dot itself glows red.

Here’s what you should do:

• You can only activate the function using the microphone key. As soon as you do so, the light goes out.

Orange

• Setup mode display: The device is ready for setup.
• Establishing a connection to the Internet.
• Permanently, if there are problems with the Internet.

Here’s what you should do:

• If the Echo Dot glows orange for longer, something is wrong with the WiFi. Actually, this should only be the case for a short time. If the glow lasts for an unnaturally long time, you have several options.
• Optionally, you can perform the setup process again.
• In addition, always check how your WiFi is doing! You can do this in the Alexa app.
• If the Echo Dot glows orange even though the WiFi is working, restart your WiFi.
• If none of this helps, disconnect the Echo Dot from the power. Wait a moment before reconnecting it. Often, the problem will be solved by then.

Purple

• Flashes after request: “Do not disturb mode is active!”
• Internet connection not possible during initial setup.

Here’s what you should do:

• You have switched on the silent mode. Here, Alexa cuts everything that could disturb you. You will then receive neither calls nor emails. Requests during this time are acknowledged with a short purple light.
• To end the state, use the following voice command: “Alexa, disable Do Not Disturb mode!”.

Another tip: If you can’t remember all this, ask Alexa! If a light seems strange to you, use the following command: “Alexa, what does the light mean?

How to turn off the Alexa light ring permanently?

This works either via the “Do not disturb” mode. However, Alexa still works here, so it remains active in the background.

If you don’t want to do that, there is only one thing you can do: Disconnect the entire speaker from the power supply! Only then can you be sure that Alexa will no longer work and that it will no longer light up. After that, the Echo Dot has to restart, of course.

What to do if the illuminated ring remains completely dark?

If Alexa does not respond and the light ring stays off, this can have several causes:

• There is a problem with your WiFi.
• Amazon / Alexa = down.
• You used an unknown voice command / the Echo Dot can’t hear you.

Function test on the illuminated ring: How to find faults

Whatever happens, try the simplest functional test of all: speak to Alexa directly.

If the speaker then lights up blue again, everything is working! Perhaps there was only a brief disturbance that you did not notice.

WiFi malfunction is present

Check the status of your home network and WiFi. The best way to do this is via your smartphone. If everything works here as well, there is a third option.

Alexa down

It is not so rare for this to happen. For example, this problem occurred more frequently in January 2022: Alexa did not respond or only responded with a standard greeting: “Something went wrong.

The ring lit up permanently red. Normally, it only does this when you have manually deactivated the microphone.

So there was probably a problem at Amazon. Because Alexa has to connect to the cloud, problems can naturally occur there as well. Then the connection that ensures Alexa functions properly is missing.

Here’s how you do it:

Search the net or social networks for the reports of other users! Not only you will be affected, but other people too.

Unfortunately, in such a case you can hardly do anything but wait. Your light ring will tell you with its color when the status changes.

If you lack the patience for this, you can also try a restart. Because there are several servers, you might be lucky and your Echo Dot connects to one that is still working. You can recognize this by the fact that the light ring shows the usual colors again during setup.

Unknown voice command / comprehension problems

Check whether your announcement was clear and understandable. Did you really address Alexa directly? Comprehension problems can also occur if the position of the Echo Dot does not fit.

This is how he has to stand so that Alexa hears everything:

• Do not position the Echo Dot closer than 20 centimeters to walls!
• Place it so that no loud noise from another noise source could interfere with communication (loud air conditioner, for example).

How do you reset the Echo Dot and what does the light ring show then?

There is an action button on the Echo Dot. Hold it down for at least 25 seconds. If the light ring flashes orange, the Echo Dot has been successfully reset.

Can the colors of the light ring on the Echo Dot be changed?

Are you unhappy with one or more colors? Do you find them neither beautiful nor logical and would like to customize them a bit? Unfortunately, Amazon doesn’t leave any room for maneuver here.

One reason could be that you might want to call for customer support one day. The technician should of course be able to read the colors. If everyone uses their own colors, it leads to chaos.

Even with skills you can’t do that, although a few of them can extend to the light ring. Here are two popular examples.

Making practical use of the light ring with skills

As a night light: 

If you only want to search for something briefly, but don’t want to turn on an overhead light, this skill is helpful.

The associated voice command is: “Alexa, say night light on!” The Echo Dot then lights up constantly for up to 90 seconds before it turns itself off again.

If you want the night light to be on for a shorter time, you need to tell it how long you want that to be the case: for example, “Alexa, say night light on for 40 seconds!”

As a flashlight: 

This skill provides a blue flash for the period of five minutes. This is the command for it: “Alexa, start flashlight!”.

Both skills can be found on the Alexa Skills homepage: under “Alexa Skills and Features” in the Smart Home category! Of course, before you can use them, you have to activate them first.

For more accessibility: “Translating” colors on the illuminated ring

A little-known feature is beneficial for the blind and visually impaired. It allows users to convert colors into sounds.

So if you simply can’t read the Echo Dot light ring, you should either set it up yourself or have someone else do it:

• Go to the Alexa app.
• Follow this path:
• “Devices” / “Echo and Alexa” / “Echo Dot” / “Sounds” / “Request Sounds”.
• Use the slider you find there.
• Activate “Start of Request”, as well as “End of Request”.

Subsequently, the Echo Dot plays two sounds whenever it processes an event: once at the beginning and once when the event has been completed.

Related questions

Dim brightness: Is that possible?

Unfortunately, the brightness of the light cannot be influenced by the user so far. Neither dimming nor further increasing the brightness is possible.

How does Alexa stop glowing?

This depends on the reason for the glow. If it does not stop by itself after a while, the only solution is to disconnect the speaker from the mains permanently.

Conclusion illuminated ring and colors on the Echo Dot

The illuminated ring of the Echo Dot* fulfills an important function with its different colors. It allows you to see at any time whether the device is working properly. For example, when messages are received, it flashes green. When the microphone is turned off, it glows red.

If you can read the illuminated ring, you can save yourself the tedious search for the cause of problems. If the colors are too annoying, they can be deactivated in various ways. However, the light ring can only be turned off completely by disconnecting it from the power supply.

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Attention: When installing electronic equipment, please be sure to observe the manufacturer’s safety instructions. You have to take care of your own safety. The information on this site only helps you to learn.
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