When Alexa is listening, the Amazon Echo’s ring will light up. But why does it sometimes shine red or yellow? Here’s what your Echo wants to tell you.
Every owner of an Amazon Echo knows the characteristic glow: If you speak to Alexa, the LED ring at the top immediately begins to light up blue and moves back and forth. But what if other colors such as yellow or red suddenly appear? Here’s what Alexa wants to tell you exactly.
Flashing amber: A new message—or packet
Especially recently, Echo owners who order more frequently from Amazon may have seen the yellow ring. If the ring is pulsing yellow, it actually means that a message or a voice message is ready. Since an update in the summer, the Echo has also indicated that a package from Amazon will arrive today. You can simply ask Alexa if this is the case. With the command: “Play my messages” all stored messages are played.
Caution: If a package really comes, the product name is also mentioned. If you want to surprise someone in the household, you can turn this off in the Alexa app. The option can be found in the settings under “Notifications” and “Amazon Shopping”.
Blue ring: Alexa is listening
If the ring glows blue, it simply means that Alexa is listening. A lighter area of the ring shows where the echo thinks it is hearing the voice from. If the ring then pulses, Amazon processes the request.
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Red Ring: There is privacy
If the ring is red, Alexa doesn’t hear anything: the microphone has been switched off. The assistant becomes active again by pressing the microphone button.
Spinning orange ring: Wlan wanted
If the ring keeps turning and glows orange, the echo is looking for a WiFi connection. The signal can usually be seen during setup, but also appears when the router fails.
Green light: someone wants to speak to you
If the ring is flashing green, someone is trying to call you on your Echo. A rotating green ring shows an active call – but also a so-called “drop in”. A friendly user can simply establish a connection into the room. Don’t worry: you have to allow this in the settings first.
White Ring: It’s getting loud (or quiet)
You can see the white ring when you change the volume, be it by speaking, by turning the ring on older models or by using the volume buttons on newer devices. The fuller the ring glows, the louder the echo is set.
Purple Pulse: There is a problem
If the ring pulsates in violet, this is not a good sign: There were problems setting up the WLAN, for example due to an incorrect password. As a rule, this should only be done during setup. Amazon recommends restarting the Echo. For more tips on network issues, visit this support page.
Flashing purple: Quiet please
The Echo should only flash in purple if you want it to: it means it’s in Do Not Disturb mode. Then no calls or messages will be put through. The mode is activated and ended by selecting the corresponding echo in the Alexa app under “Devices” and then activating “Do not disturb”.
