Speakers and screens | Red, yellow, green and more | Where the light is on each model | What to do next
Overview
Every Echo uses coloured lights to show what Alexa is doing. Amazon has one light guide for Echo speakers and another for Echo devices with a screen. This guide puts both together in Amazon’s words, with what to do for each colour.
Where the light is on your Echo
On the Echo Dot (5th Gen), Echo (4th Gen), Echo Studio (2019 release) and Echo Studio (2025 release), the light is a ring. The Echo Pop has a light bar: Amazon’s Echo Pop reset page talks about the light bar turning off and on again. On the Echo Dot Max, Amazon’s setup page says “A red light on the button means that the microphone is disabled”, and that a blue light on the device means Alexa is listening.
Echo Show models have a light bar. Amazon’s setup pages for the Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) and Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) list a light bar on the front. Amazon’s speaker light page lists no models, and its screen page is generic too, so the colours below apply across each range.
Echo speaker lights
Solid red: the microphone is off and Alexa isn’t listening. Press the microphone button again to turn it back on. Amazon adds that on Echo devices with a camera, a red bar means video won’t be shared.
Cyan spotlight on a blue ring: Alexa is listening. A brief glimmer means your request was heard and is being processed, or possibly that a software update is in progress.
Teal blue: Alexa is ready to hear you without the wake word.
Slowly spinning teal and blue: the Echo is starting up, or restarting after a software update. If it hasn’t been set up yet, Amazon says it turns orange when it is ready for setup.
Orange: setup mode, or trying to connect to the internet.
Pulsing green: an incoming call. Spinning green: an active call or an active Drop In.
Purple: Do Not Disturb is on, shown as a brief flash after a request. During initial setup, purple means Wi-Fi problems.
White: the volume level while you adjust it.
Yellow, a slow burst every few seconds: a message or notification. Ask “What are my notifications?”.
Lights on Echo devices with a screen
Red: the microphone button has been pressed and “the device microphones and camera are off”. Press it again to turn them back on.
Solid yellow bar: a message or notification. Ask “What are my notifications?”.
Cyan spotlight on a blue bar: Alexa is listening. The spotlight moves briefly while it processes your request.
Teal blue: Alexa is ready to speak without the wake word.
Orange: trying to connect to the internet.
Green: you are still on an active call or Drop In after leaving the call screen.
Purple: Do Not Disturb is on. It shows briefly after a request.
Amazon’s screen page doesn’t list white or the spinning start-up light, and it names no models.
The blue privacy light and Camera Disabled icon on the 2025 Shows
On the Echo Show 8 (2025 release) and Echo Show 11, Amazon’s setup page says a blue light on screen shows when Alexa is recording and processing a request in the cloud. When you turn the camera off, a “Camera Disabled” icon shows on screen, per Amazon’s camera on and off page.
Red light: turning the microphones back on
Red means the microphones are off, and on an Echo Show the camera too. Amazon’s microphone page says Alexa doesn’t respond to voice commands while the microphones are off, though the device still responds to the Alexa app and the Alexa Voice Remote. Press the same button again to turn them back on.
The button name differs by model. On the Echo Dot (5th Gen), Echo (4th Gen) and Echo Pop it is the Microphone off button. On the Echo Studio (2019 release) and Echo Studio (2025 release) it is Microphone Enable/Disable, and on the Echo Dot Max it is Microphones enable/disable. On the Echo Show 8 (2025 release) and Echo Show 11, the Microphones & Camera Enable/Disable button is on the side. On the Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) and Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen), use the Microphone and Camera button: the slider on the back is the camera shutter. The Echo Show 21 and Echo Spot (2024 release) have a Microphones off or Microphone off button on top.
Our red light guides go model by model: Echo Dot (5th Gen), Echo (4th Gen), Echo Pop, Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio (2019 release), Echo Studio (2025 release), any Echo Show, Echo Show 8 (2025 release) and Echo Show 11.
Yellow, green, orange and purple: what to do
Yellow: ask “What are my notifications?”. If it won’t turn off, see our yellow light guide and Amazon’s page for a yellow light that won’t turn off.
Green: a call or Drop In is coming in or still active. If it won’t turn off, see our green light guide and Amazon’s page for a green light that won’t turn off.
Orange, or purple during setup: the Echo is in setup mode, trying to connect, or having Wi-Fi problems. Our Wi-Fi guides cover the fixes for the Echo Dot (5th Gen), Echo Pop, Echo (4th Gen) and Echo Show.
Purple after a request: Do Not Disturb is on. Amazon has a Do Not Disturb help page.
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