Why Your Amazon Alexa Device Is Flashing Yellow, And What It Means

Amazon Alexa devices like the Echo and Echo Dot utilize both audible and visual stimuli to keep you on top of your daily goings-on. This includes audible beeps and boops, and various colored lights on the ring around the top. Obviously, Alexa will usually tell you what's going on if you prompt her directly, but if your Alexa device is showing something unusual, Alexa won't give you an explanation unless you ask the right questions.

For instance, what does it mean when the light ring on top of your Alexa device starts flashing bright yellow? No, it's not a yellow alert, or anything dire or dangerous — it just means that Alexa is trying to tell you that you've got some notifications waiting. She is your digital assistant, after all, but she can't very well assist you if you never check your messages. If you want to turn this little yellow signal off, you just need the right prompt.

If the light ring on top of your Alexa device begins flashing yellow, that means that you currently have unread messages or notifications in your Alexa inbox. It could be a message from one of your Alexa-registered contacts, a system update that Alexa needs to inform you about, or just a notification on one of your Amazon orders. Either way, despite what the somewhat alarming color choice may imply, that's all it is: messages. Incidentally, older versions of Alexa devices would flash green when you had an incoming message or call, but that was changed in an update around 2017.

To actually check your messages and turn the yellow light off, all you need to do is prompt Alexa to do so. You could say "Alexa, what messages do I have?" or "Alexa, what are my notifications?" If you have either, she will read them out to you, then turn the light off.

If you're tired of seeing the flashing yellow light every time you have an unread Alexa message, you can disable the feature entirely through the Alexa companion app on your smartphone.

1. Open the Alexa app on your smartphone.
2. Tap the three lines on the top-left of the screen to open the More menu.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Tap Device Settings.
5. Tap your Alexa device's name.
6. Tap Communications.
7. Disable the Communications toggle.

Keep in mind that, if Communications is disabled, you won't be able to send messages or make calls using your Alexa device. Additionally, if you get a message, you'll need to manually check it on a smartphone or computer. Basically, you won't have to deal with the flashing yellow light anymore, but only because all of your Alexa device's messaging functions will be completely disabled.

There is, unfortunately, no way to do this halfway. You either have to have all of your messaging features enabled or none of them. If you want to keep making calls with your Alexa device, you'll just have to put up with the yellow light.