Alexa’s Glowing Light Rings and Smart Plug Explained

A blue light means Alexa is listening. A blinking white light means a change of volume. A spinning white light shows Alexa Guard activation.

A teal light means your Echo is starting up. An orange light indicates setup mode. A red light indicates an internet connection issue internet. A purple light means your Echo is on Do Not Disturb Mode, and a pulsing green light indicates an incoming call.

Though each light indicates different things, there are different modes each color has that change the meaning of their commands. In this article, we decode Alexa’s light show language, answering common questions you may have regarding your Alexa’s glowing light rings.

How can I turn off Alexa’s Lights?

You can turn off some of Alexa’s lights, though this is not recommended, as it basically won’t function as it was designed to. This can be done by turning on the “Do Not Disturb” mode, though this will not turn off red, purple or orange lights which indicate a troubleshooting issue.

The first is to simply say to Alexa, “Alexa, turn on Do Not Disturb Mode.” If your Echo or other device is defective, then you can turn Do Not Disturb Mode on from the Alexa App connected to your Echo. On the app, press “Devices” > “Echo” > “Device Settings” > “Do Not Disturb.”

You can also keep some lights from turning on by disabling notifications in the Settings tab in your Alexa app. For example, you can turn off Amazon Shopping notifications.

Unfortunately, the only way to truly turn Alexa’s lights off is by unplugging the device.

Why does Alexa flash a blue light?

One of two “Conversation Colors” (blue and white), Amazon’s “cyan on blue” is the most common color that will flash on your Echo device. A dark blue ring with a dash of cyan means that Alexa is listening, which is enabled when you say her name.

If the light is spinning blue, your request has been heard, and Alexa is loading or processing the last thing you said.

A glimmering blue light that randomly flashes means your Echo is updating software, so it will not be usable at that time. Lastly, a teal and blue spinning light means your Alexa device is turning on. If you have never set up your device before, the lights will turn to orange after booting up.

Why is my Alexa flashing a white light?

The first reason Alexa is flashing white is she is displaying a volume change. If you are pressing the plus or minus button or telling Alexa to turn the volume up or down, the device will flash a white light.

A spinning white light, however, is alerting you that Alexa Guard is activated. This is also called “away mode,” and while this is activated, your device will listen for suspicious noises and alert you if something is going on in your home.

Why is Alexa flashing orange?

An orange light on your Echo is telling you that your device is in setup mode or is attempting to connect to the internet. If this is your first time setting up the Echo or have reset it, this could explain the orange lights.

Why is Alexa flashing yellow?

If your device is flashing a yellow light in slow bursts, your Alexa has a notification, reminder or message. You can check these by saying, “Alexa, read me my messages/notifications.”

Why is Alexa flashing a purple light?

A purple light indicates a few things. One, it means your Alexa is having issues connecting during the Wi-Fi setup, and she is notifying you that they have stopped the process.

Additionally, purple means you have made a request when Do Not Disturb mode is on, indicating that it heard you, but she will not respond.

Why is Alexa flashing a green light?

Alexa pulses a green light to indicate you have a call incoming. This could mean someone is calling from your phone connected through the Echo through your Alexa app, or they could be calling from a different Echo.

When you are on the call after answering it, your green light will be solid.

A spinning green light is notifying you that you are in “Drop In” mode. With this mode enabled, contacts you have approved can join you for a video chat or call at any point in time.

However, your Alexa will make a chiming noise before the call will come through, and there will be a lag to allow you time to get ready for the call.

Why is there a solid red bar on my Alexa?

A solid red light is usually bad news, but this is just telling you that Alexa’s microphone is off and not accepting commands. On an Echo device that has a camera, the red light indicates your video won’t be shared.

Why is Alexa flashing blue and green?

There are four reasons why your Echo is spinning blue and then flashing green:

1. Your device may be in “pairing mode,” trying to connect to Bluetooth
2. Alexa may have been activated accidentally
3. Alexa may be stuck trying to process something you requested
4. Updates to the Echo’s firmware may be processing or stuck

If your Echo is taking a long time or seems stuck on a blue and green loop, turn it off and back on, or unplug the Echo and plug it back in.

Why does Alexa flash at night?

Alexa can be flashing lights in the middle of the night for a few reasons. The first thing you should do is check if you’ve scheduled a reminder, task or event in the middle of the night (we’ve all hit AM instead of PM before).

You can either tell Alexa to remove the reminder or delete it in your Settings menu in the Alexa App.

Your Echo device may also have an issue that you’re not aware of. You can fix this by doing a factory reset on your Alexa, though this will mean you have to start everything over again.

If Alexa is creepily speaking to you at night, and you don’t understand why this is the best way of fixing the issue.

If your Alexa is just flashing notification lights, you can always use “Do Not Disturb” during the night hours.

Why is my Alexa Smart Plug Flashing Red?

If you’ve connected your Echo device to smart plugs around the home, your Alexa Smart Plug also has lights to indicate issues.

A flashing red light means your plug is having trouble connecting to Alexa. Before taking any steps with the plug itself, check if your internet network is working properly. Be sure to have your plug at least 30 feet away from the device you are connecting to.

If the internet is not the problem, resetting your plug may be a simple fix. Remove it from the outlet, wait ten seconds, and plug it back in. If the LED light flashes again, try a different plug. 

If changing the outlet doesn’t work, you can also try resetting the plug itself to retry the pairing with Alexa. Hold the power button for 15 seconds until the indicator light blinks. This should turn from red to blue.

If neither of these works, you may have a plug that simply does not work. Amazon support may also be able to help you, so contacting them before returning the plug may be a good idea.

Conclusion