Alexa, the voice assistant powering Amazon Echo devices, communicates through a series of colored lights. While a flashing yellow light signifies unread messages and a spinning green light indicates an incoming call, seeing a yellow-green flashing pattern can be confusing. This article will decipher why your Alexa might be flashing yellow and green, explaining the meaning behind these individual colors and offering solutions to address them.
Decoding Alexa’s Yellow Light
A flashing yellow light on your Alexa device indicates you have unread notifications. These could include:
- Messages: Someone has sent you a message through the Alexa messaging system.
- Delivery Notifications: Amazon may be notifying you about a recent delivery or an upcoming one.
- Reminders: You might have a reminder that you set previously.
Resolving the Yellow Light:
- Ask Alexa: Simply say, “Alexa, read my notifications” or “Alexa, what are my messages?”
- Check the Alexa App: Open the Alexa app on your smartphone and navigate to the “Communications” tab to review and manage your messages and notifications.
Understanding Alexa’s Green Light
A flashing green light signifies an incoming call. This could be a call from another Alexa device or a phone call placed through the Alexa calling feature. A spinning green light indicates an active call in progress.
Resolving the Green Light:
- Answer the Call: Say, “Alexa, answer the call.”
- Ignore the Call: The light will stop flashing once the call ends.
- Decline the Call: Say, “Alexa, decline the call.”
Why Yellow and Green Might Appear Together (and What to Do)
While Alexa doesn’t have a specific yellow-green flashing pattern, the yellow and green lights might appear consecutively due to separate notifications occurring close together. You might receive a message followed immediately by an incoming call, creating the illusion of a combined signal.
Troubleshooting Steps:
- Address Each Light Separately: Follow the instructions above to handle the yellow (notifications) and green (calls) lights individually.
- Check Do Not Disturb: Ensure Do Not Disturb mode is off. A pulsing purple light indicates Do Not Disturb is activated. If enabled, disable it through the Alexa app or by saying, “Alexa, turn off Do Not Disturb.”
- Restart Your Device: Unplug your Alexa device, wait a few seconds, and plug it back in. This often resolves temporary glitches.
- Check for Software Updates: Outdated software can cause unexpected behavior. Ensure your Alexa device has the latest software updates installed. You can usually trigger this through the Alexa app.
Other Alexa Light Colors and Their Meanings
For a comprehensive understanding, here’s a quick overview of other Alexa light colors:
- Solid Blue with Cyan Spinner: Alexa is processing your request.
- Alternating Blue and Cyan: Alexa is responding to your command.
- Solid Blue: Alexa is listening or ready for a command.
- Blinking Purple: Indicates Wi-Fi connection issues.
- Spinning Orange: The device is connecting to the Wi-Fi network.
- Solid Red: The microphone is muted.
By understanding these light signals, you can effectively interact with your Alexa device and troubleshoot any potential issues. If you continue to experience problems, consult Amazon’s official Alexa support documentation for further assistance.
