Amazon’s Echo devices come in all shapes and sizes — including cylinders, orbs, and screens. But there’s one thing they all have in common: Every Echo houses the Alexa voice assistant and uses an LED indicator light to provide clues on what Alexa may be doing right now. On classic Echo speakers, this light took the form of a pulsing ring, which can change to different colors based on activity.
We’ve come across many Alexa users who have noticed that their Echo device has started showing a yellow ring and aren’t really sure what that means or what they should do about it. A yellow ring isn’t typically anything to worry about, but our FAQ will go over the details so you know what’s going on!
What does the yellow ring look like exactly?
Your Echo device will pulse a yellow color that will die down for a few seconds, then pulse again. This may or may not be accompanied by an audio alert, one that’s easy to miss if no one is around paying attention, which is why it’s common to be surprised by a yellow pulse from your Echo.
If you have a more traditional cylinder or puck-shaped Echo device, that yellow indicator will be an LED ring around the top of the Echo. If you have the fourth-generation, orb-shaped Echo, the LED ring is at the base of the device instead. If you have an Echo Show device, the LED indicator should be a bar at the top of the screen instead.
What does the yellow ring mean?
Yellow is Alexa’s sign that the voice assistant has something to tell you. Specifically, it means that you have a reminder, a notification, or a message to receive.
For example, if you use the Alexa app to send and receive messages (texts or voice messages), then someone else with an Echo may have sent you a message as well, and the yellow ring will light up to indicate that. Or, if you set an Alexa reminder earlier in the day and missed the audio notification, the yellow ring may be reminding you of that particular task. Other activities can also initiate the yellow light, but the primary meaning is always the same: You have new information to access on Alexa.
