Changing Light Colors on the Amazon Echo: What Does Each Color Mean?

Has your Alexa ever shown a weird swinging or pulsing light? Now that you’ve purchased an Amazon Echo, you have so many options and commands to choose from…and most first-time users have no clue what the different colors mean.  

Basic Amazon Echo Colors and What They Mean 

The light ring on the top of your Amazon Echo can display any one of these seven colors listed below. Here is what each color means: 

• Blue:  Power & listening

• Orange: Connecting to Wi-Fi 

• Purple:  Failed Wi-Fi connection & Do Not Disturb mode 

• Red: Disabled microphone 

• White:  Volume change 

• Yellow:  New message 

• Green:  Incoming call

Let’s go into some more detail for each color. A flashing color might mean something completely different than a solid color on the Echo. 

Amazon Echo Colors: What Do They Mean? 

• Spinning blue lights: If the top of your Amazon device is lit with spinning blue lights, this means that the device is powering on and starting up. 

• Solid blue with a lighter blue section: The lighter blue section should be positioned toward whoever is currently speaking, as this color pattern is used when Alexa is listening to a request and will process it once you stop speaking.  

• No Lights/Lights Off: Your Amazon device is on and waiting to hear a voice command from you. Basically, this is your Amazon device’s resting state. 

• Orange Lights that spin clockwise: If you’re attempting to pair Alexa with your Wi-Fi network, you’ll see these orange spinning lights. The light orange color appears during the Wi-Fi connection stage of setting up your Amazon product. 

More Amazon Echo Colors 

• Oscillating (swinging, like a pendulum) Purple Light: The light ring will turn purple if your Amazon device failed to connect to Wi-Fi, or if a similar error occurred during the Wi-Fi setup stage. 

• Solid Red Light: If the light ring on the top of your Echo is solid red, you have disabled the microphone feature. Alexa will not be able to respond to your requests until you have enabled the microphone feature, which will turn the solid red light off. 

• Solid White Light: The light ring on top of your Amazon device will turn solid white when you are adjusting the volume of the device. 

Even More Amazon Echo Colors 

• Spinning Blue Light that ends with a Purple Light: You have set your Amazon device to “Do Not Disturb” mode. 

• Single Purple Light Flash after you try to use a voice command: “Do Not Disturb” mode is still active, and Alexa is reminding you. You can still communicate voice commands to your Amazon Echo when it’s set to the “Do Not Disturb” mode. 

• Pulsing Yellow Light: Your Amazon device is notifying you that you have a new message or notification that needs to be reviewed. Simply ask Alexa to read you the message or notification to clear this yellow light. 

• Pulsing Green Light: You are receiving an incoming call or a “Drop-In” to your device. You can ask Alexa to answer. You can also tell Alexa to ignore the call. Lastly, you can simply let the call go through to your messages by not giving a voice command. 

How to Change Color on Amazon Echo 

Knowing how to change colors on the Amazon Echo can keep the lights from glowing at the wrong moments. For example, maybe you have a small child you’re trying to rock to sleep, but your device’s pulsing yellow light is keeping them awake.  

You can turn off your Amazon Echo’s lights with your phone. Keep in mind that you can only disable two different light colors: the yellow and green lights. 

To keep the yellow lights from glowing, go to “Settings” and then to “Notifications” in Alexa’s mobile application to keep the Echo’s notifications off. This lets you turn off the alerts you receive from Amazon Shopping. 

Because the green light alerts you of new messages or phone calls, you can keep this light from glowing by switching on “Do Not Disturb” mode. 

While you can’t manually turn off the orange, purple and red lights, you can keep them from glowing by maintaining a strong connection to your internet. 

Knowing what your Amazon Echo is trying to communicate with different color of light is essential. If you’re interested in expanding your connected home, Brinks Home Security™ offers home security products that are compatible with your Amazon Echo. 

Krista Bruton is a DFW-based writer who covers smart home security and consumer protection.