Why is My Alexa Red and Not Working

Why is My Alexa Red and Not Working : Wondering what this red light is on your Echo Device? Feeling stuck with this red light on the Echo device? Not able to talk to Alexa? Hold on, calm down, you must be worried about this red light visible on your Echo device. So, in this blog, we are going to decode this Alexa Red Ring Issue. We will list 11 Easy Ways to Fix Alexa Red Ring issues in the following paras.

Alexa Red Ring error is also widely known as Alexa Red Ring of Death. It could be a troublesome situation as you are not able to talk to Alexa during that time. Alexa fails to respond to your commands when facing this red ring error. It is important that you get rid of this error quickly and carry on with the Alexa services back again. If you are also facing this error, then don’t worry we have listed enough methods to Fix the Alexa Red Ring Issue. With these solution steps, you can easily overcome these errors.

First of all, What do Alexa light ring colors mean?

The light ring (or bar on some Echo Show devices) is one of the most interesting features of Amazon alexa devices. To interact with you, Amazon Echo smart speakers light up with different colored rings. Let`s take a closer look at what these light ring colors mean on your Amazon Echo devices.

No Light : If your Echo is plugged in but has no light on it, it would be a good sign. This indicates that your amazon echo speaker is turned on and ready to receive a voice command.

Blue Light : You might see your amazon Echo or echo dot glowing blue when you say “Alexa.” If the light on your Echo is steady blue that means alexa has heard the wake word and is listening to your request.

White Light: The echo uses white light to indicate any volume changes, even if you press the + or – button on the device or say, “Alexa, volume up or down.” A constant or steady white light means that the Guard feature is enabled in the alexa app.

Teal Light : If your amazon Echo has a spinning teal light, it means your echo is starting up. Lights will then turn to orange which means device has entered setup mode.

Orange Light : It means your alexa device has entered the setup mode and is trying to connect with your internet. You might also see it while performing factory reset of your device.

Purple Light: Alexa device glows purple if it encounters an error during Wi-Fi setup which stops the setup process. ou might also see a purple ring light if Do Not Disturb mode is enabled in the alexa app.

Red Light : If your Alexa echo is red, it could be because of two things: either you’re having Wi-Fi issues and the Echo dot has lost internet connection, or your device’s microphone has been disabled can’t listen to your voice commands.

Yellow Light: If your amazon Echo or echo dot is flashing yellow, it means that a new message, notification or reminder is waiting for you. You can ask, “Alexa, what are my new notifications?” or “Alexa, what are my messages?” and hear what alexa has to tell you.

Green Light: If you see a pulsing green light on your amazon echo it means you have an incoming call. In case if you`re in a middle of call you will see a solid green light glowing. But if there is a pulsing green light, that means your alexa echo is in drop in mode.

Why is my Alexa Flashing Red and not Working | Reasons behind Red light on Alexa

Alexa devices generally use these colored rings to signify anything going wrong with the Echo device. With these lights, you can easily comprehend what is the probable cause behind the error occurring. And accordingly, you can perform troubleshooting steps to overcome these errors. It is important that you understand the meaning of each light to be able to understand the underlying error.

Alexa Red Ring also known as the Alexa Red Ring of Death is an error that signifies that the microphone is turned off and Alexa is not able to listen to your commands. It could be because of other reasons as well but the microphone is the primary cause. In case you are facing this error on Echo Show, then the cause might be the camera as well. In the case of the Echo Show, you should check the camera connection to overcome the red ring error in Echo Show.

11 Ways to Fix Echo Dot Red Light Ring Issue

If you feel stuck with Alexa Red Ring Issue and want to get rid of it at the earliest, then follow the solutions given below. Following we list the 11 methods to fix the Echo Red Ring error entirely:

Method 1- Turn Microphone On

Sometimes it is possible that you turned off the microphone button on the Echo device so that Alexa could not listen to your talks. We generally turn off the microphone to prevent Alexa from responding unnecessarily to conversations. But later we tend to forget this and thus we see the Red Ring light on the Echo device.

Generally, the microphone turned off is the primary cause behind the Alexa Red Ring error. So, make sure that your microphone is turned on. If it is turned off then turn it on immediately to overcome the Alexa Red ring error.

Press the microphone button on top of the Echo Device once to turn it on or off. Then wait for a few seconds for the Alexa to get normal from the red ring. Now try talking to Alexa, if the error is resolved Alexa will be able to respond to your commands. Otherwise, you need to follow the remaining steps and try again.

Method 2- Ensure stable Internet Connection

For Alexa to work efficiently, it is important that it is receiving a strong internet connection at all times. A stable internet connection ensures the smooth functioning of Alexa. Thus check whether the internet is working properly or not.

To check this you can try using the internet from the same source of internet on some other device. So, connect another device to the same Wi-Fi network or as the Echo is connected. And check internet speed using the web browser on that device.

Method 3- Common Wi-Fi on both devices

Make sure that both the devices are registered on the same Wi-Fi connection. This builds a strong connection between the Echo device and your mobile handset. So ensure that your mobile and the Echo device are connected on the same Wi-Fi connection.

Method 4- Update Alexa App

Sometimes, certain bugs in the obsolete versions could be the primary reason behind several errors. So it is advised to update the alexa app quite frequently. Keep a check on the Echo devices’ updates and update the same whenever there’s one. Sometimes users switch off automatic updates from the settings. This hinders the update procedure of the app.

To avoid errors, you can check the automatic updates option from the settings. This will update the device whenever there is a new update. Otherwise, also update the Alexa app from the Google Play Store or App Store as the case is.

Method 5- Check Wi-Fi Connection

There might arise an error with your Wi-Fi router, so if that is the probable cause, then you need to follow the steps mentioned below to overcome Wi-Fi errors.

• Open the web browser and go to your router’s portal
• Type the IP address and log in to the router’s portal using the login id and password
• Now go to wireless network settings
• Change the channel number for both the networks i.e. 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
• For the 2.4 GHz networks, set the value between 0-11, and for 5 GHz set the value between either 36-48 or 149-165.
• Connect your Alexa device to the 5 GHz network to give the highest internet speed.

Method 6- Restart both devices

Unplug the Echo device and wait for a few seconds before plugging it back into the socket. Also, try rebooting your mobile and router. Once all the devices have been restarted, try using Alexa afresh to check if the red ring error has been removed.

Method 7- Reset the Echo device

If none of the above solutions solve the error, then you can reset the Echo device to the factory settings. All the Echo devices have their own way of resetting devices. These are mentioned below:

For First-Generation Echo, find a small hole on the back of the device and insert a pin inside that hole. Hold this position for about 15 seconds until an orange light appears.

For Second Generation Echo Dot, press and hold the volume down and microphone off button simultaneously until you see the orange light.

For the Third Generation Echo Dot, press and hold the ‘Action’ button for around 25 seconds.

For Echo Show, hold the volume down and mute the button until you see the manufacturer’s logo on the screen.

Method 8- Deregister Echo Device

You can even try deregistering the device from your Account and later registering them again on the Alexa app. For this, you need to go to the Alexa app. From Devices, you will find an option to deregister in the device settings. Click on the deregister option under the specific device showing an error. Wait for the device to get deregistered successfully.

Once this is done, repeat the registration process for a specific Echo device using the login id and password. This will remove any error pertaining to that device.

Methods 9- Check Physical obstructions between Echo device and Wi-Fi

Make sure that there is no physical obstruction caused by electrical appliances such as microwaves, etc. These devices usually block the Wi-Fi signals between devices, making it difficult to build a strong connection between the devices. So place your Echo device in such a way that there is no obstruction by electrical appliances.

Method 10- Uninstall/Install Alexa App

You can try uninstalling the Alexa app from your mobile completely. Once you’ve done that, clear the cache left by the app on the device. This can be done from the storage settings of your mobile. Once you’ve cleared the cache, you can go ahead with installing the app again and following the registration process.

Method 11- Location of Echo Device

The way you place your Echo device is also an important factor in determining the connection strength of the devices. Make sure the Echo is not placed too far from the Wi-Fi. Placing these two in close proximity ensures a strong connection and thus smooth functioning of devices.

Also read : Steps to fix Alexa device not discovered issue?

Still Red Light on Alexa?

So, these were the reasons and fixes for Why is My Alexa Red and Not Working Issue. Hopefully, you were able to solve the Echo Red Light Ring, but if you are still struggling to solve it, you can instead get in touch with Alexa Experts either over chat or through the Alexa Helpline number given below.