What indicator colours communicate
Echo devices report their operating state through a coloured light rather than a screen. Understanding what each colour represents makes the device's behaviour legible at a glance.
Reference scope
This page describes what indicator colours mean. It is a passive glossary. It prescribes no actions, no corrective procedures and no hardware sequences, and it is not a diagnostic resource. Indicator behaviour varies by model, generation and software version; the authoritative reference for any specific device is the documentation supplied with it.
How indicator systems work
| Variable | What it communicates |
|---|---|
| Colour | The category of state — setup, listening, processing, muted, notification |
| Motion | Whether the state is steady, pulsing or rotating; motion generally indicates an ongoing process |
| Position | On some models a lit segment points toward the direction speech was detected from |
A steady colour generally represents a persistent condition. A pulsing or rotating colour generally represents an activity in progress.
Colour glossary
Filter by colour, or read them all.
Consolidated reference
| Colour | Common motion | State represented |
|---|---|---|
| Orange | Steady or spinning | Setup mode; awaiting configuration |
| Blue | Steady, with a cyan segment | Device addressed and processing |
| Blue | Rotating | Start-up, or a request in progress |
| Red | Steady | Microphone off; voice capture disabled |
| Purple | Steady | Do Not Disturb active |
| Purple | Brief flash | Request received while Do Not Disturb was active |
| White | Segment | Volume level, or a settings state |
| Green | Pulsing | Incoming call |
| Green | Spinning | Call in progress |
| Yellow | Pulsing | Notification waiting |
Why conventions differ between models
Indicator schemes are design decisions made per product line, and they vary for four reasons.
- Hardware differs. A ring of individually addressable elements supports patterns a single-colour indicator cannot.
- Firmware evolves. Conventions are sometimes revised across software updates within the same hardware generation.
- Form factors differ. Screen-equipped models use the display for states that screenless models must express through light.
- Regional variation exists. Some features, and therefore some indicators, are available only in certain markets.
For this reason no third-party reference — including this one — can be authoritative for a specific unit. The documentation supplied with the device, and the manufacturer's current published materials, are the definitive source.
Common questions about indicators
Each one expands.
What does a solid red light mean?
Voice capture has been disabled using the control on the device itself. The device remains powered and connected; it is simply not listening.
This is a deliberate privacy state rather than a fault, and it is why the control is physical hardware rather than a software setting.
Why is the light orange on a new device?
Orange indicates setup mode. A device that has not yet been associated with an account and a network enters this state on power-up and remains in it until onboarding completes.
Does purple always mean Do Not Disturb?
Predominantly, yes. A steady purple indicates Do Not Disturb is active, and a brief purple flash after a request indicates the request arrived while it was active.
Purple is separately used during some onboarding sequences to indicate a network step did not complete, which is why context matters when reading it.
Where is the indicator on a screen-equipped model?
Screen-equipped models replace the ring with a bar along the lower edge of the display. Echo Pop uses a bar along its front face. The device selector at the top of this page shows the position for each form factor.
Do the colours mean the same thing on every model?
Broadly, but not universally. Conventions are revised across generations and firmware versions, and some features exist only in certain markets. The documentation supplied with a specific device is authoritative for that device.