How to Reset Your Amazon Alexa Speakers and Smart Displays | Digital Trends (2024)

You and your smart home rely on your Alexa mainframe. The treasured Internet-of-Things controller and web-connected brains of the homestead, your Echo speaker or smart display is the commander of everything from your smart thermostats and video doorbells to your lighting, music streaming, and daily schedule. But what do we do when our Alexa hardware starts failing us? Or what if we have plans to offload an old Echo speaker to make a bit of chump change?

Contents

  • Bugging out? Start with a hard reset
  • Resetting an Echo speaker (Echo, Echo Dot, etc.)
  • Resetting an Echo Show
  • Resetting with the Alexa app

Whether you’re having troubles with your Alexa products or plan on getting rid of one or several, resetting your Alexa device is a fairly straightforward process, although the process will differ depending on what gear you own. Here’s an explainer on how to reset some of the most common types of Alexa hardware.

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Bugging out? Start with a hard reset

First and foremost, if your Alexa product is running sluggishly or not responding at all, a hard reset may be all you need to get your trusty voice assistant back in working order. For a quick hard reset, all you need to do is unplug your Alexa device, wait about 10 seconds, and then re-power the hardware.

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Give it a minute or two to reconnect to your Wi-Fi network, then test your equipment. Ask Alexa a question or tell her to perform some kind of command, whether that’s launching your favorite Spotify playlist or turning down the thermostat. If everything goes according to plan then you’re good to go. If not, it’s time to get a bit more drastic with a factory reset.

Resetting an Echo speaker (Echo, Echo Dot, etc.)

One of the most commonly owned types of Alexa-powered devices, Amazon’s lineup of Echo speakers spans four generations and features several different models, from the standard Echo speaker to the miniature Echo Dot.

If your speaker is acting finicky or you plan on selling/giving yours away, you’ll want to perform a factory reset. Doing so will eliminate all of your user data, allowing you or your interested buyer to start fresh. There’s more than one way to reset your Echo speakers, and the means to do so also varies by model. We’ve covered all methods below.

Resetting with speaker buttons (standard Echo lineup)

How to Reset Your Amazon Alexa Speakers and Smart Displays | Digital Trends (5)

Are you the proud owner of afirst-generation Echo speaker? If it’s time to upgrade to the latest fourth-gen iteration, you’ll need a paper clip or other finely pointed object to get at this speaker’s factory reset button, located on the back of the device. Press and hold your pointer to the Resetbutton and wait. Once the light ring turns off then on again, that’s the sign that you’ve successfully reset your first-gen Echo.

For second-gen Echo speakers, you’ll want to press and hold the Microphone off andVolume downbuttons at the same time, holding for about 20 seconds. When the LED light ring glows orange, this means your reset went through. (You can also reset a second-gen Echo Dot using the same method.)

Forthird- and fourth-genEcho speakers, press and hold theActionbutton for 25 seconds. The light ring will glow orange then turn off. Once the speaker re-powers, it should first glow blue, then orange again, indicating your reset worked.

Resetting with speaker buttons (Echo Dot lineup)

How to Reset Your Amazon Alexa Speakers and Smart Displays | Digital Trends (6)

Resetting your puck-shaped or globular Echo Dot is a quick and simple process across the three generations of the speaker.

Forsecond-gen Echo Dotresetting, you’ll want to press and hold both theMic off/Volume downbuttons at the same time. Once the light ring shines orange (you’ll wait about 20 seconds), your reset is complete.

For third- and fourth-gen Dots,as well asEcho Dot with Clock models,all you have to do is press and hold theActionbutton for 25 seconds.

Resetting with speaker buttons (Echo Pulse, Echo Studio, Echo Sub)

How to Reset Your Amazon Alexa Speakers and Smart Displays | Digital Trends (7)

To reset afirst-gen Echo Echo Pulse, grab your pointed object and press/hold theResetbutton on the back of the speaker. Wait for the light ring to turn off then back on again. For thesecond-gen Pulse, press and hold the Actionbutton for 20 seconds. Once the light ring goes off then on again, you’re golden.

To reset the almighty Echo Studio speaker, press and hold theMic off/Volume downbuttons for 20 seconds. Have anEcho Subto go along with the rest of your Echo family that you want to reset? Press and hold theActionbutton (located above the power cord) for 25 seconds.

Resetting an Echo Show

Amazon’s lineup of Echo smart displays can all be factory reset straight from the touchscreen, with the reset process varying slightly by generation.

Forfirst-gen Echo Shows and Echo Spots, swipe down from the top of the screen, then chooseSettings.You can also say “Alexa, go to settings” to jump straight to the Settings screen. Once you’ve landed, tapDevice Options, thenReset to Factory Defaults.

How to Reset Your Amazon Alexa Speakers and Smart Displays | Digital Trends (8)

To reset asecond-gen Echo Show, Echo Show 5, Echo Show 8, or Echo Show 10,swipe down on the touchscreen and tap Settings(or ask Alexa to do so). On the Settings screen, tap Device Options, thenReset to Factory Defaults. If you want to keep all your smart home connections online, chooseRetain Smart Home Device Connections.

Another way to reset your Echo touchscreen device is to press and hold theMuteandVolume downbuttons for 15 seconds. When the Amazon logo flashes, that means your reset was a success.

Resetting with the Alexa app

If you want to keep things mobile, you can factory reset your Alexa-powered product straight through the Alexa app.

To do so, open the Alexa app, then tapDevices. Then, tap theEcho & Alexaicon at the top of the screen. Pick the hardware you want to reset, then scroll down and tapFactory Reset.

Havingtroubles with your Echo Dot? Check out our piece on the most common Echo Dot problems and how to fix them. Issues with your Google gear? Look to our guide on the most common Google Home issues and how to fix them.

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How to Reset Your Amazon Alexa Speakers and Smart Displays | Digital Trends (2024)

FAQs

How do I reset my Amazon Alexa speaker? ›

Press and hold the Microphone Off and Volume Down buttons at the same time for approximately 20 seconds. Release both buttons when you see a spinning orange light ring on the device.

How do I reset my Alexa smart device? ›

Unplug the power adapter from the device or the outlet and wait for 10 seconds. Plug it back in to restart it. To reset your device and keep your smart home connections: Press and hold the Action button for 20 seconds.

How do I fix my Amazon Alexa speaker? ›

To fix issues with your Echo device not responding:
  1. Make sure you're using the power adapter that was included with your device.
  2. Make sure you have an active internet connection.
  3. Check that your device isn't muted. ...
  4. For devices without a screen: press the Action button to see if your Echo device responds.

How do you get Alexa to restart? ›

Unplug your device or the power adapter from the power outlet. Then plug it back in. For devices with removable batteries, remove and reinsert the batteries to restart the device.

Why is my Alexa not responding? ›

Network errors are often the culprit as Alexa (and most voice assistants) simply can't function without an internet connection. Restarting will often fix this, but, if it doesn't, then you need to reset the Wi-Fi. To do this, open the Alexa app, then go to Devices > Echo & Alexa > [Device that's not working].

How can I get Alexa to work again? ›

Remove the batteries and return them, or unplug and plug your Echo back in to restart it. A simple restart may fix Alexa and the Echo's Wi-Fi connectivity issues. Make sure your Wi-Fi password is correct. If you're connecting to Alexa with the wrong Wi-Fi password, this could cause a problem.

Does resetting Alexa delete everything? ›

Note: This reset erases all your personal information and any device and smart home connections. Tip: If resetting your device isn't helpful or you no longer want to use your device, Deregister Your Device from your Amazon account.

How do I reset Alexa to WiFi? ›

Update the Wi-Fi Settings for Your Echo Device
  1. Open the Alexa App .
  2. Select Devices .
  3. Select your device.
  4. Select Device Settings .
  5. Select Change next to Wi-Fi Network.
  6. You can then: Connect to one of your previously connected Wi-Fi networks. Forget a previously connected Wi-Fi network.

Can you manually reset Alexa? ›

Use a paperclip or toothpick to press the reset button.

If you're still having problems after the reset, press and hold the reset button for 8 seconds for a complete factory reset. For all other first generation Echo models, press and hold the button for 8 seconds to reset Alexa and your Echo.

Why is my Alexa show screen not working? ›

Unplug the power adapter from the device or the outlet. Wait 3 minutes and then plug it back in. If the issue persists, verify that you're using the power adapter that came with your device. For more help, try our Echo & Alexa forum.

How do I get my Echo Show back online? ›

How to Fix It When Alexa Says the Echo Is Offline
  1. Make sure the Echo device is plugged in. ...
  2. Restart the Echo device. ...
  3. Move the Echo closer to the router. ...
  4. Check the Wi-Fi connectivity. ...
  5. Make sure your smartphone and Echo are on the same Wi-Fi network. ...
  6. Update the software version on the Echo.
Jun 26, 2022

How do I reset my Alexa Wi-Fi? ›

Update the Wi-Fi Settings for Your Echo Device
  1. Open the Alexa App .
  2. Select Devices .
  3. Select your device.
  4. Select Device Settings .
  5. Select Change next to Wi-Fi Network.
  6. You can then: Connect to one of your previously connected Wi-Fi networks. Forget a previously connected Wi-Fi network.

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