How To Deregister An Echo Device From Your Amazon Account

Just like smartphones and tablets, Amazon Echo smart speakers and displays are linked to a unique user ID — in this case, the one associated with your Amazon account. Also, just like any device with personal information on it, you'll want to wipe it clean before selling or gifting one to someone else. Resetting an Amazon Echo device to factory settings is only the first step; to fully disassociate your Amazon account with the device, you'll also want to go online and deregister it completely from your Amazon account. 

Deregistering an Alexa device, however, is not the same as resetting the device to factory settings, which is a process may want to try if you're having technical issues with your Alexa smart speaker. For example, if your Amazon Echo doesn't consistently respond to the wake word (typically "Alexa," but it could also be "Echo," "Ziggy," "Computer" or "Amazon") or if the volume doesn't change when you press the volume buttons, resetting the device to factory settings may fix those problems and more. They are different processes, though, and done in response to different circumstances.

To deregister an Amazon Echo, head over to the "Manage Your Content and Devices" page at Amazon, then select the device you want to deregister and hit the "Deregister" button. The website will ask if you're sure — if you are, hit the new yellow "Deregister" button. That's it, as explained by Amazon — you can now sell, gift, or otherwise register the device to a different account now without having to press any more buttons or go through any more steps.

If you're trading in or selling your device, you may also want to collect any power cords or other cables or accessories that go with the device, since the recipient may be expecting a complete device. If you saved the box it originally came in, you may want to package it in that for safe transport as well. Not to mention, if you haven't listed the Echo for sale yet, you may get more money for it in the original box, as it indicates you've taken the time to care for your device and protect it even when you no longer own it.

Deregistering an Amazon device completely removes all personal details from the device, including your name, username, password, and any personal settings. It also deletes the device from the list of your devices on your online Amazon account. Once a device has been deregistered, it's as completely back to its original state as it can be in relation to both the device's firmware and any associated online accounts where it had been listed.

With any Alexa device, deregistering will also have the effect of resetting the device to factory settings — you can't complete the first process without the second also occurring — but it's not necessary to deregister your device to reset it to factory settings. In fact, deregistering a device completely when all you really intended to do was reset it to factory settings will likely add unnecessary steps when you go to reconfigure or set up the device again from scratch since you'll have to now re-register the device to your account a second time.

On the other hand, if you don't deregister your Alexa device when you transfer ownership to someone else, the next person to use the device might have a problem when they try to register it for their own account, since Amazon may see that the gadget is still tied to your account. Worse yet — some of your personal information or settings could potentially remain linked to the device where the new owner can access it.

A good rule of thumb is this: if you'll be keeping the device yourself and using it with the same Amazon account to which it's currently linked, you do not need to deregister it. If, however, you are giving or selling the device to someone else or you're moving it to another Amazon account under your control, you will probably want to deregister it.

Anytime you give or sell a device to someone else you should deregister it, but when in doubt, go ahead and deregister your device from your Amazon account. The worst thing that can happen is you'll create an additional few steps that you'll have to go through to get the speaker back up and running if you deregister your device unnecessarily.