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Why is Alexa Red

Why is Alexa Red?

Is Alexa broken?

Why is Alexa red and why won’t the device respond to me?

Don’t worry – red is a normal and common color indicator for your Amazon Echo device.

Let’s talk about what the red ring or line on your Alexa device means and how you can fix it.

Why is Alexa Red?

Alexa emits a red light for two reasons: 1) your Echo device is on mute or 2) Alexa is having trouble connecting to the internet.

If Alexa is on mute, then the red light will be steady. If Alexa cannot connect to Wi-Fi or doesn’t have a strong enough internet connection, then the red ring will flash intermittently.

Alexa Red Light Notifications

Alexa displays the red light notification differently depending on the device.

Echo and Echo Dot (Red Circle)

Echo and Echo Dot devices typically display a light ring around the top or bottom of the device as seen in the images below.

Echo Dot Alexa Red
Red Light and Red Mute button on Echo Dot

Echo Show (Red Line)

Echo Show devices with a screen typically display a red line across the bottom of the device.

Echo Show Alexa Red
Red line and Red Mute button on Echo Show

Other Alexa Enabled Devices (Red Light)

Alexa enabled devices, such as Ecobee, also display a red notification when the device is muted or there is trouble connecting to Wi-Fi.

Alexa Red Ecobee
Red Light on Ecobee Thermostat

All Alexa devices will display a red light notification in some way when your device is muted or having trouble connecting to the internet. It is good that Amazon is consistent across the devices to avoid confusion.

How to Fix Alexa Red Ring Issue

We answered the question “Why is Alexa Red”. Now lets figure out how to fix the issue.

You can easily fix the red light issue on your Alexa by unmuting the device or fixing your Wi-Fi problems. Here is a simple overview of the process.

Unmuting Alexa

If your Amazon Echo has a solid red light and isn’t responding to your commands then it is likely on mute.

Look for a red illuminated mute button on the device to confirm. To unmute your Echo, simply press the mute button on top of your device.

Fix Alexa Wi-Fi

If you have a pulsing red light and Alexa is not muted, then there may be an issue with connectivity.

If your Amazon Echo device has trouble connecting to Wi-Fi and/or does not respond when asked questions about the weather, then we recommend the following actions.

First, unplug your device from power and wait at least one minute before plugging it back in again. This should reset connectivity issues with the device and fix any problems you are experiencing that are related to poor Wi-Fi signal strength or interference in general.

If rebooting your Alexa doesn’t work then you should unplug your Wi-Fi router for five minutes and then plug it back in. You can also follow additional troubleshooting steps specific to your Wi-Fi router.

Other Alexa Light Notifications

Check out these other guides for Alexa light notifications and their meaning.

Follow this guide if you need to reset your Alexa device.

2 thoughts on “Why is Alexa Red?”

    1. The red line is going across the bottom of the screen and there is not a button to push to immune. The red button on top is the power button. We have turned it off and then on. We have disconnected the router and restarted. The red light is still on and Alexa does not respond
      So what else can we do?

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