Why Is Alexa Flashing Green, Yellow, Red, or Blue? What the Lights Mean

The Amazon Echo line of smart speakers usually relies on Alexa to give you feedback, but the light ring on top of the device also has a lot to say about what's going on with the Echo. If you see your Alexa flashing green or the smart speaker has a blinking green light, it's part of the Amazon Echo's notification system.

Don't worry, the notification is rarely about something wrong with your Echo. The different colors on top of your Amazon Echo notify you of things such as unread messages or incoming calls. These notifications allow you to know the status of your Echo with a simple glance.

Why Is Alexa Flashing a Blue Ring?

Blue is the most common color for the light ring, and it simply means your Amazon Echo device is actively listening to you. This is very useful to ensure Alexa can properly hear what you're saying.

If she has difficulty hearing you, try saying one of the wake words—"Alexa," "Amazon," "Computer," "Echo," or "Ziggy"—in a louder-than-normal voice and pausing a moment or two until the blue rings appear before continuing the command.

Why Is Alexa Flashing or Blinking a Yellow Light?

One cool Alexa skill on Amazon Echo devices is the ability to send and receive messages. When you have a message in your inbox, your Amazon Echo's light ring will begin blinking yellow to alert you of the new message.

You can ask Alexa to "read my messages" and she will read all the new messages you've received that day. You can also read messages using the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet; just tap the message button at the bottom of the app, which looks like a bubble dialog box. It will have a green notification circle when you have an unread message.

Why Is Alexa Flashing Green?

When Alexa is flashing green, it means you either have an incoming call or you're currently on a call. Amazon Echo devices can place phone calls just as they can send messages, and when a call is coming through, Alexa will even announce who is calling.

Your Echo device will continue flashing green until the call is ended, so you can easily tell if you're still on a call. To end a call, simply say, "Alexa, end call."

Why Is Your Echo Dot or Mini Flashing Red?

You may expect Alexa's red ring to signify a critical error, but don't worry, red isn't quite as dire a color as you might expect. A blinking red light on your Amazon Echo device simply means the microphone has been muted.

Of course, this is a dire problem insomuch that your Echo cannot hear you without the microphone, but it's easily solved. When your Amazon Echo is muted, the microphone button on the top of the Alexa device should also glow red. Simply tap this button to turn mute off and the red light ring will vanish.

Why Are Your Amazon Echo Lights Blinking Purple?

The Amazon Echo also has a Do Not Disturb mode. This is great at night when you don't want your Echo device to wake you up with notifications and alerts, but it's also easy to leave this mode on by accident.

Luckily, your Amazon Echo Dot or Echo Mini will flash purple while Do Not Disturb is in effect, and if you want to turn Do Not Disturb off, you can easily do so.

Why Is Alexa Blinking Orange?

Your Amazon Echo device will connect to Wi-Fi during the bootup process, as Alexa uses Wi-Fi for all of her tasks. The flashing orange ring on your Echo indicates Alexa is currently trying to connect to Wi-Fi. You may see this briefly right after booting up the smart speaker.

If you see your Echo device blinking orange during normal operation, it may be having problems with the Wi-Fi connection. First, verify your Wi-Fi is working on another device, such as your smartphone. If your Wi-Fi is operating fine, try rebooting the Echo device by unplugging it from the wall, then plug it back in. If you're having trouble with your Wi-Fi, read our troubleshooting guide on wireless connections.