Echo Show 8 Night Mode | How & Why to Activate It

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Gained early experience with automation technology in the private and industrial sector, can turn his living room into a movie theater with one voice command and is the owner of this website. He is happy to share his accumulated experience with every new article.

What is the Echo Show 8’s night mode and why should you use it?

There is a theory that light from screens disturbs sleep. This theory has not yet been proven. If it is true, the blue light of the screen is supposed to be responsible.

A high proportion of blue light suppresses a sleep hormone called melatonin and thus keeps you awake. If the proportion of red light is higher, this ensures relaxation and you can sleep better. You also have fewer problems falling asleep.

It is not clear how great the effect of blue light is. But one thing is clear: a bright screen at night is blinding. If you wake up in between, it can hurt your eyes and certainly doesn’t help you get back to sleep.

The night mode of the Echo Show 8 ensures that this does not happen to you: It automatically adjusts the brightness of the display at night. If your surroundings are dark, the brightness is dimmed. If there is more light in the room, the brightness is increased again.

The night mode of the Echo Show 8 ensures that your sleep is not disturbed by unnecessary light. You fall asleep faster at the beginning of the night and can also return to the land of dreams faster when you wake up in between.

Of course, the night mode also has its advantages when you are awake for a long time in the evening and use the Echo Show 8. Thanks to the reduced brightness, you will not be dazzled and can enjoy the time on the screen better.

How to activate the night mode

Activating night mode on your Echo Show 8 is not difficult. However, there is a pitfall, because many owners look for the setting in the wrong menu item.

If you want to activate the night mode, first swipe down on the home screen. Now a menu bar opens where you can select the settings. Alternatively, you can also use the voice command “Alexa, show settings”.

Many users fail at the following point: Normally, you would assume the night mode under the screen and brightness settings. However, the function is linked to the time.

If you think about it more carefully, it makes sense: The night mode should only be active at night, when the environment is darker. So it depends on the time of day.

Once you are in the settings, click on the menu item Clock and Photo Display. Here you will first find various settings for the photo display. The night mode is further down in the advanced settings.

If you scroll down, you will see the night mode, the automatic sleep mode and the menu item 24-hour clock. While you can turn the latter two on and off right here, there are additional settings available for night mode. Click on Night Mode to open the corresponding menu.

In most cases, the night mode is already activated at the factory. If this is not the case, or if you accidentally turned it off and want to reactivate it, simply click on the Automatic menu item. You can deactivate it in the same way.

In this menu you can make further settings for the night mode.

When is the night mode active?

The automatic night mode is usually preset. In this mode, the screen of the Echo Show 8 adapts to the light conditions. This means that when it gets darker in the evening, the screen’s brightness adjusts automatically.

Alternatively, you can create a schedule. Then this schedule controls at what time the night mode starts and when it ends.

The schedule also helps when the Echo Show 8 does not properly detect changes in lighting conditions. This can happen when the sensor is covered.

Night mode with schedule

Click the Schedule item in the Night Mode settings. The automatic night mode is automatically deselected and the schedule is activated instead.

The times for the schedule are usually preset to zero o’clock and zero o’clock of the following day. If you don’t want the night mode to work all the time, you have to change these times. To do this, click on the Change button that is displayed next to the times.

A detail page opens, which gives the two options Start and End. Here you can set the times so that they fit your daily rhythm. After you have made the settings, it takes just under a minute for them to take effect.

More settings for night mode

You can make additional settings in the night mode menu of the Echo Show 8. This includes the behavior of the display in night mode. Here you can set what should be shown on the display while night mode is active.

You can easily change the clock display by clicking on the Night Clock option. If you deactivate the night clock, the screen remains black.

Your choice of clock can affect how much your display glows while you’re not using it in night mode. Although the background is usually dark, the watch itself lights up.

If you find the screen too bright despite the night mode because the watch emits too much light, but you do not want to do without the watch, you have to change the design. You can choose between a small and a large version. Unfortunately, the Echo Show 8 does not offer any other customization options for the clock.

End of night mode with sunrise alarm clock

The night mode of your Echo Show 8 accompanies you throughout the night. In the morning, when more light is available, the display becomes brighter again. If you operate the night mode via a timer, the device returns to your preset brightness at the end time or adjusts to the new lighting conditions during the day via adaptive brightness.

If you don’t use adaptive brightness or want to make sure you wake up in style in the morning, you can use the sunrise alarm. This simulates a sunrise: The display of your Echo Show 8 slowly gets brighter until you have to get up.

The mode itself is not a direct alarm clock, but supports it. That is, if you set an alarm for eight in the morning, your alarm will also ring at eight. However, the screen of your Echo Show 8 starts to get brighter fifteen minutes earlier.

Slowly increasing the brightness will wake you up more gently. This makes it easier for you to actually get up at the set time. This feature is especially useful in darkened rooms or when you have to get up early.

If you want to activate the sunrise alarm clock, first open the settings. Swipe down from the top of the screen and click Settings or use the voice command “Alexa, go to Settings”.

Here you go to Display and Brightness. You can activate the sunrise alarm by clicking on the option.

Fixing problems with night mode

Some users notice problems with the night mode of the Echo Show devices, especially after system updates. For example, the contrast may be too low, dimming may suddenly stop working, or not dimming enough.

If the night mode of your Echo Show 8 suddenly does not work as usual, you should first ask yourself when this problem started. Even though updates are a common cause, there are other reasons that you should rule out first.

If you have recently changed something in the environment, that alone can have an influence: The night mode works via a light sensor. The screen is only dimmed when it detects the fading light from the environment.

Therefore, first make sure that the light sensor is not blocked. To do this, you can move the Echo Show 8 to another location or, better yet, to another room. If the problem persists, it is more likely that it is a problem with the device.

There is one exception to this rule: Some light sources emit infrared rays even when they are switched off. These rays can send false signals to the light sensor.

Such infrared beams are often emitted by security cameras and light bulbs that are supposed to support cameras. If your smart home includes an extensive security feature, the problems with night mode could be related to this. Also check whether infrared radiation is coming in through a window near the front door.

Contrast too low

A common problem with night mode is a lack of contrast between the clock and the background. If the brightness of the display is dimmed, this can lead to the time no longer being legible on brighter backgrounds. Some users report that they were able to solve this problem by deactivating the adaptive brightness option.

Dimming does not work

To solve problems with dimming the brightness of the Echo Show 8 display, several steps may be necessary. First, you should check if you have enabled the night clock in the settings and what settings you have made for night mode.

You can try different settings at this point. For example, switching from automatic to schedule or vice versa may solve the problem. Also, after switching back to the original option, sometimes the problem no longer exists.

Please note that it takes about a minute for the effect of the changed setting to become visible. If you change the type of night mode, you need to give your Echo Show 8 time to adjust everything.

In addition to switching from automatic to schedule or vice versa, changing the times can also help. For example, if you have set the start time to zero o’clock and the end time to zero o’clock of the following day, try if there is a difference if you set the end time to 23:59 instead. If this step doesn’t help, at least you’ll have more information about the problem in case you need to contact support later.

If all the changes to the night mode settings don’t help, there are other settings you can try: Go to the adaptive brightness settings and turn it off and then on again. You can find the menu item in the screen settings.

If this step does not help either, go to the settings for the device options. Check here for further software updates and install them if necessary.

If this step also does not improve the situation or if there are no updates available, turn off the device and disconnect it from the power supply before turning it on again. Make sure that the device does not receive any power for at least one minute.

If the problem is still not solved after the subsequent reboot, you should contact Amazon’s customer service. Either there is an error in the software or the light sensor is no longer working properly. Tips and tricks can no longer help here.

You have these alternatives to night mode

Besides the night mode, there are alternative ways to adjust the Echo Show 8’s display for night. This might be necessary if you do not want to use night mode, need additional settings, or the mode does not work despite all troubleshooting attempts.

Options include:

Dim brightness manually every evening
Automatically adjust brightness independently of night mode
Turn off screen completely
Enable Do Not Disturb mode

Dim brightness manually or automatically

You can dim the screen of your Echo Show 8 yourself. This can be useful if you don’t like the automatic adjustments of the night mode.

To change the brightness, swipe down from the top of the screen. Now you will see a slider for the brightness. You can drag it to the left or right until you find a comfortable brightness level.

Alternatively, you can go to Settings in the menu bar and select the Screen menu item. If you scroll down, you will also find a slider for the brightness. It works the same way as the slider in the menu bar.

In this menu you will also find the setting for the automatic brightness control. If you do not want this to be active only at night via the night mode, click on adaptive brightness. From now on, the brightness will be controlled automatically, regardless of the time of day.

Turn off screen

Even if you dim the brightness, the Echo Show 8 screen will turn on as soon as the device senses motion. If you want to avoid this, you can turn off the screen by putting it in standby mode.

The standby mode has the advantage that it consumes less power. Not only when you’re out and about during the day, but it can also make a big difference at night.

Even if you lower the brightness or use the night mode, the device consumes more power as long as the screen is on. With the change of the lighting conditions in night mode, the consumption can additionally increase. So using the standby mode is the solution if you want to reduce not only the brightness, but also your electricity costs.

To turn off the screen, use the voice command “Alexa home screen off”. The screen stays off until you wake up the Echo Show 8 again. This happens automatically the next time you speak to Alexa or tap the screen.

Sometimes the clock is also displayed on the screen in standby mode. This can also cause unwanted brightness at night. If you also want to deactivate the clock, you can do so in the settings.

Go to the settings by swiping the screen from top to bottom or use the voice command, “Alexa, Settings”. Here you click on Screen.

In this menu, you will find a button for displaying the clock. This determines whether the clock is displayed while the Echo Show 8 is inactive. Click the button to turn off the clock and click it again to reactivate it.

Do not disturb mode

Do not disturb mode ensures that you do not receive notifications for calls and messages and switches the display to standby mode. In this mode, the display is black and only shows the clock and the Do Not Disturb icon. The display does not turn on even if you move in front of it.

To enter Do Not Disturb mode, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the menu bar. Here you will find the Do Not Disturb icon, the half-moon. Click on the icon to enable or disable the mode.

Of course, you can also put the Echo Show 8 into Do Not Disturb mode via voice command. To do this, say “Alexa, please turn on Do Not Disturb” or simply “Alexa, please do not disturb”. Alternatively, you can find a corresponding setting in the Alexa app on your smartphone.

You can only activate Do Not Disturb mode for individual devices. So if you set your Echo Show 8 to this mode, but you have other Alexa-enabled devices such as an Echo Spot in another room, you have to activate the mode for these devices separately. This is independent of how you activate and deactivate the mode.

You can conveniently activate Do Not Disturb mode via a schedule. The best way to do this is via the app.

After you have opened the app, select the device for which you want to make the settings. Here you activate the schedule. You can set the start and end time according to your preferences.

After you save the changes, your Echo Show 8 will automatically go into Do Not Disturb mode at start time every day. You don’t even have to worry about waking it up from this mode anymore.

Conclusion

The night mode of the Echo Show 8* automatically dims the brightness of the screen when there is less light in the room. So the display doesn’t blind you at night.

You can activate the night mode under the menu item Clock and Photo Display in the settings of the Echo Show 8. You can choose between an automatic night mode and a night mode with a timer function that only works between the times you set. In the settings, you can also determine whether you want the clock to be displayed on the screen while the night mode is active or not.

If you do not like the brightness that the night mode controls, you have several options to make sure that the screen does not blind you in the dark: You can adjust the brightness manually, try the adaptive brightness, turn the screen off completely or activate the Do Not Disturb mode.

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.
Disclosure: This website is the property of Martin Lütkemeyer and is operated by Martin Lütkemeyer. Martin Lütkemeyer is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to enable Web sites to earn advertising revenue through advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Links marked with * are affiliate links.