The light ring on top of the Echo Dot smart speaker is a distinct aspect of the device, and it’s the only feature that has thus far survived generations of the device’s evolution and development. But the various light colors aren’t always easy to comprehend. So, what causes the spinning blue light on your Echo Dot?
A spinning blue light on the Echo Dot means Alexa is listening or processing a command. It can also mean that Alexa is in pairing mode or completing a firmware update. If the light ring shows a spinning blue light followed by a purple flash, your Echo Dot has entered “Do Not Disturb” mode.
Now that you’ve got a general idea about what the spinning blue light means, let’s take a closer look at how to interpret the lights on your Echo Dot. We’ll also go over what to do if the light doesn’t go away.
Why Does My Echo Dot Have a Spinning Blue Light?
The spinning blue light on an Echo Dot (on Amazon) may occur for a brief moment or show continuously, indicating different things. Let’s take a look at some of the most common scenarios:
Alexa Is Listening or Processing
Your Echo Dot smart speaker is sensitive to sound and will quickly respond if it hears a noise. It often does so by displaying a blue ring with a cyan segment pointing toward the origin of the sound.
And if you press the action button, the cyan segment will move to the edge nearest to the button. This is perfectly normal, and you shouldn’t worry about it.
However, if your Echo Dot is picking up a lot of background noise, consider moving it to a less noisy area. The cyan segment will help you figure out the direction of the stray noises.
The spinning blue ring with a cyan segment can also mean that Alexa is processing a command you’ve given it. The process may take longer if you’ve given an unclear command or the task is a little complicated. It can also be experiencing a slow internet connection.
If your connection is too slow, Alexa may give you one of its default “I’m having trouble…” responses. Try making the request again, or use a simpler request. You can also troubleshoot your internet connection.
Alexa Could Be Performing a Firmware Update
Alexa will download and install new firmware updates from time to time to patch bugs and improve the device’s security. Generally, these updates can take a couple of minutes at a time, and you may not have noticed anything strange before.
This is because Amazon sends the updates when you’re not using the Echo Dot. When they do happen, there will be a spinning blue light. But unlike when the device is processing a voice command, this time, it will be unresponsive for a few minutes.
If your Echo Dot speaker looks like it’s still doing an update after more than 20 minutes, it’s time to unplug it and plug it back in. This forces Alexa to retry the update from scratch.
Alexa Could Be in Pairing Mode
Alexa usually goes into pairing mode when you perform the initial setup of your device. It can also happen if your Echo Dot speaker has detected another device trying to connect with it nearby.
If you’re doing the initial setup, simply follow the instructions for how to connect Alexa to a WiFi network.
But if you’ve already set up your Echo Dot and it’s entered the pairing mode unintentionally, use the command: “Alexa, stop.” You can also unplug the device and plug it back in after 10 seconds.
Alexa Could Be in Do Not Disturb Mode
If the blue light is followed by a purple flash, it means Alexa has put your device into “Do Not Disturb” mode. While this won’t stop your Echo Dot’s alarms, timers, or reminders, it prevents anyone from using the call or drop-in functions to communicate with the device.
It’s another standard Alexa function, and you can simply say, “Alexa, turn off do not disturb” to turn it off. You can also do this from your smartphone.
What Should I Do If the Spinning Blue Light Doesn’t Go Away?
A spinning blue light that doesn’t stop after more than 30 seconds likely means your Echo speaker has run into a problem. But before you try to return your device, follow these tips to see if you can fix the issue:
Troubleshoot Your WiFi Network
Your Echo Dot speaker needs a reliable WiFi connection in order to function properly and communicate with Amazon’s servers to process your queries. But if you have a weak internet connection, Alexa may get stuck in the offline state, and you’ll see the constantly spinning blue ring.
Check that your router has an active power connection, restart it, and/or confirm whether your ISP is having a network outage. You should also confirm that no member of your household is using the WiFi network to access torrenting websites.
Torrenting usually eats up a lot of bandwidth, which can significantly reduce your internet connection speeds.
Move the Echo Dot Closer to Your Router
If your Echo Dot is too far away from your WiFi router, it may be out of range of the WiFi network. Move the speaker as close to the router as possible to maintain a strong internet connection.
Confirm You’re Using the Original Power Adapter
If for some reason you’re using a third-party adapter to power your Echo Dot, that could be the culprit. Such an adapter may not deliver the optimal current and voltage to the speaker, as it may have a different output power rating.
It’s always best to use the original power adapter from Amazon, so consider replacing yours if it’s lost or damaged.
Turn Off the “Do Not Disturb” Feature on Alexa
Amazon lets you enable the “Do Not Disturb” (DND) feature on Echo Dot from your Alexa app. When DND is active, the speaker won’t respond to any voice commands, and it just gets stuck with that annoying spinning blue light.
However, you can disable the feature from your smartphone, and here’s how:
- On your Alexa app, navigate to the “Devices” tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap on “Echo & Alexa” and then select your Echo Dot speaker.
- Tap on the “Settings” icon, then go to “General.”
- Select “Do Not Disturb” and toggle it off.
Try Unlinking Your Speaker
Unlinking your speaker from your Amazon account and adding it once again can also clear the spinning blue light issue. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Alexa app and navigate to the “Devices” tab.
- Tap on “Echo & Alexa,” then select your speaker.
- Tap on the “Settings” icon, then navigate to the “Registered To” section.
- Tap on the “Deregister” button and confirm your choice in the prompt.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to link the device from scratch. You can use the same Amazon account or a different one to see if it fixes the issue.
Factory Reset the Echo Dot
If none of the above fixes work for you, restoring the Echo Dot’s settings might do the trick. You’ll then need to set it up again like it’s new.
Here’s how to do it from the Alexa app:
- Go to “Devices” and select “Echo & Alexa.”
- Choose your speaker from the options.
- Navigate to “Factory Reset” and tap on it.
- Confirm that you want to reset in the prompt.
You can also conduct a manual factory reset, but this depends on the version of Echo Dot you’re using.
To reset the 2nd Generation Echo Dot, press and hold the Volume Down and Microphone Off buttons until the light ring turns orange. In about 20 seconds, the reset is complete.
To reset the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Generation Echo Dot speakers, press and hold the Action button for about 25 seconds.
What Do Echo’s Other Colored Lights Mean?
The flashing lights on your Echo Dot have various roles, including warning you when something’s wrong with the device or alerting you when Alexa is listening or processing a command. Moreover, the lights let you know if you have any incoming messages.
Generally, white is a conversation color, letting you know Alexa is listening, and yellow is a notification color. Setup and troubleshooting colors include teal, orange, red, and purple. They let you know your Echo Dot is in the setup stage or that there’s an issue with your WiFi.
Let’s explore these colors in detail:
White Light
A white light ring on the 1st and 2nd Generation Echo signifies a volume change. But if the white light spins continuously, it means Alexa Guard is in “Away Mode.”
Yellow Light
Your Echo flashes yellow when you’ve got a new message, notification, or reminder. It could also be due to a status update about an incoming Amazon Prime Delivery. Let Alexa tell you what’s going on by using any of these commands:
- “Alexa, what are my notifications?”
- “Alexa, notifications?”
Teal Light
A spinning teal light means you’ve recently plugged in your Echo Dot or restarted it. Once the device is ready for setup, the light will turn orange.
Orange Light
An orange light means the device is in setup mode, such as after a factory reset. It can also mean it’s trying to re-establish an internet connection.
Purple Light
A purple light means the Echo speaker has encountered a WiFi problem during the setup process. It also flashes in the Do Not Disturb mode.
Red Light
The red light means you’ve run into a WiFi problem or you’ve disabled the microphone.