Amazon’s Alexa is an AI-powered virtual assistant available on smart devices like the Echo Dot and the Echo Studio. It’s capable of following commands like setting alarms, answering questions and searching the internet.
Given the software’s complexity, it’s no wonder that occasionally you’ll run into something you don’t understand when using Alexa. For example, you might see a green ring and wonder what it means and how to stop it. If so, keep reading to learn the answer!
Amazon’s AI-powered virtual assistant Alexa is enabled on devices like the Echo and the Echo Studio as of 2022. These devices have an LED light that acts as a status and notification indicator. A pulsing green ring indicates an incoming call or drop-in, whereas a spinning green light means that you’re on an active call or drop-in.
If you’d like to learn more about what the green light on your Alexa device means, as well as how to disable it, then keep reading for more interesting facts!
Where is the Green Ring on Alexa?
Before learning what the green light on Alexa means and how to disable it, you might want to know where to look for it first.
Depending on which device you have, the LED light will be in a different location. On the latest Echo and Echo Dot devices, you’ll see the green LED light as a ring on the bottom of the device.
On the Echo Studio, the light will appear as a ring on top of the device. On the Echo Show smart displays, the LED light is shown as a line on the bottom of the screen.
What Does a Green Light on Alexa Mean?
Seeing a green light on your Alexa device means different things, depending on how the light is moving (i.e. whether the light is pulsing or spinning).
Seeing a pulsing green ring on your Echo device indicates that you’re receiving a call or that someone is trying to drop-in.
When you answer the phone or drop-in, you’ll see a green ring spinning in a clockwise direction. This light will continue to spin as long as you’re on an active call or drop-in.
How Do I Stop the Pulsing Green Light on Alexa?
As mentioned in the previous section, a pulsing green light on your device indicates that someone is trying to call or drop-in.
Depending on your device and how you’ve configured the settings, an announcement of who’s calling may accompany the pulsing green light.
There are a few ways to make a pulsing green light stop, and one is to answer the phone or drop-in, which you can do by saying “Alexa, answer.”
If you don’t want to answer the call, you can still stop the pulsing light by checking out the number that comes up on your device, and if you don’t want to answer, you can say “Drop” or “Hang up” and your device will decline the call after 10 rings.
Additionally, you can simply avoid the call, as once the caller hangs up, the green light will stop pulsing.
Why Does the Green Light Keep Spinning on My Alexa?
When you pick up a call or drop-in, the pulsing green light will transform into a spinning green light. This light will continue to spin for as long as you’re on the call or drop-in.
Once your call ends, the green light should disappear. However, sometimes your Echo device will continue to show the spinning green light even though the call is over.
If this happens, ask Alexa to hang up, or end the call through the Alexa app on your phone.
Why is My Alexa Green When I’m Not on a Call?
You should only see a green light when you’re getting a call or drop-in or when you’ve already answered. If neither of those is the case, make sure your Alexa hasn’t misheard you and started a call or drop-in.
How Do I Get Rid of the Green Ring on Alexa?
Alexa will display a green ring in order to notify you of calls or drop-ins, though it’s not required. You can disconnect Alexa from your phone calls (and thus disable the green light) by following these steps:
- Open the Alexa App on your smartphone
- Tap the 3 horizontal lines in the top-left corner to open “Settings”
- Go to “Device Settings” and select “Amazon Alexa Device”
- Select “Communication” from the general tab and toggle it off
After following these steps, “Communication” will turn grey and you will not see the green light for incoming calls or drop-ins on your device anymore.
Why Won’t My Alexa Stop Blinking Green?
If you’re not on a call and are still seeing a blinking green light, there is one other possible explanation. A spinning or flashing green light could mean you have a shipping notification.
Ask Alexa to “Play your messages” and the green ring should disappear. You can disable shipping notifications by following these steps:
- Open the Alexa App on your smartphone
- Tap the 3 horizontal lines in the top-left corner to go to “Settings”
- Select “Notifications”
- Toggle Amazon Shopping notifications off
To know more about Amazon, you can also see our posts on Amazon Alexa warranty, what is Amazon Echo, and what is Amazon Alexa.
Conclusion
When you see a green light on your smart device, it’s almost never something to worry about. Either you’re getting a call, already on a call or have a shipping notification.
You can resolve the issue by answering the call, declining the call or disabling notifications. But the easiest way of all is to say “Alexa, what does your light mean?”