Amazon Alexa has made our lives convenient and lessened our workload. Alexa is among the best virtual assistant on the market today. It helps you automate tasks with the Alexa routines, controlling alarms, and using voice commands to control your Smart Home devices. You will notice your Alexa device’s blue light spinning continuously. So, why is Alexa’s blue light spinning?
Different forms of blue lights on the Alexa devices imply different things. Alexa lights up blue when you start or restart it; when Alexa is processing a command, it also lights up blue. Understanding these forms of blue on your Alexa device helps you know what sup with your device.
In this article, I’ll help you understand the various blue lights on the Alexa device and also help you solve the Alexa continuously spinning blue issue. Read along for more details.
Why Is My Alexa Blue Light Spinning?
Alexa uses the blue light to communicate that it’s processing the received commands or when it’s starting up. This makes the blue light a norm with your Alexa devices; you should naturally expect it. Once Alexa is done with the task at hand, the blue spotlight disappears.
If the Alexa device’s blue light persists, there is a pending issue. You may have to intervene for the blue light to stop. Otherwise, if the light disappears, there isn’t a need for any further action. You can continue enjoying your Alexa services.
Therefore, it’s essential to understand some scenarios when Alexa devices show the blue spinning light. Here are some of the events;
1. Alexa Is Starting Up
When you connect your Alexa to a power outlet, it lights up in the following sequence; a blue light ring, blue light containing a spinning white section, spinning cyan and blue areas, and flashing cyan and blue rings.
This is the normal Alexa boot process and should take approximately 30 – 50 seconds as Alexa connects to your network and other accessories. It should worry you much. As soon as Alexa is done, the spinning should disappear.
If the Alexa blue spinning persists, try performing a power cycle. Unplug the Alexa device from the power source, wait for about 10 – 15 seconds, and re-connect it to the power. It should connect or give it a moment to announce the issue, like network connection problems.
2. Accidental Triggering
Sometimes you notice Alexa light up without anyone talking to it; accidental triggers from the surrounding environment can cause this. You might be pursuing your daily activities when Alexa randomly lights up blue.
Alexa mistakes the voices from the surroundings for commands and tries to process them. Thus, the cause of the spinning blue light. It could be voices from outside the house or from other people in the place.
The blue light should disappear after a while as Alexa won’t recognize the commands, or you can command Alexa to stop by applying the command “Alexa, stop.” The voice control command stops the accidentally triggered spinning.
3. Alexa Is in Guarding Mode
When you accidentally activate your Alexa guard mode, you will notice a blue circling light that doesn’t stop. However, you can use your Alexa devices, but the blue light never stops. Is this your issue? If so, you can quickly fix it.
My friend once absentmindedly said, “Alexa, see you later,” when leaving for work in the morning. By the time Alexa replied, “Ok, I’ll start guarding now,” he was already on the way. This put Alexa in guard mode, which could probably be your case.
To fix this, use the command “Alexa, stop guarding,” and the blue light will go off. Again, you can announce yourself with the “Alexa; I am home” command to exit the guarding mode and stop the continuous blue spinning light.
4. Alexa Receiving a Firmware Update
From time to time, the Amazon Alexa team releases new software updates. This usually introduces new features, fixes existing bugs, or upgrades an existing feature. Your Alexa device receives the updates when not in use, and the update process shouldn’t take long.
When updating, the device has a spinning blue light and is unresponsive during the process. To check whether your software is up to date, use the “Alexa, is your software up to date?” Alexa checks and lets you know if it’s on the newest version. Unless the updating time is abnormally long, it shouldn’t worry you as the spinning blue light clears. If it persists, unplug and re-plug your Alexa device to power cycle it.
5. The Pairing Mode Is Active
When Alexa detects a new device and attempts to connect to it during the setup process, you will notice the Alexa spinning blue light. This is because the device is in pairing mode and doesn’t respond to your commands together with the continuous blue spinning light.
If this is your initial setup, proceed to completion and connect Alexa using your mobile device. Otherwise, you can use the command “Alexa, stop.”
6. Active Alexa Do Not Disturb Mode
When you intentionally or unintentionally activate the Alexa Do Not Disturb mode, your notice a spinning blue light followed by a purple flash after issuing your voice commands. The blue flash means that Alexa has heard you and is processing your order, while the purple flash indicates that Alexa Do Not Disturb mode is active.
The Do Not Disturb Mode prevents the call or drop-in functions, but other Alexa functions like receiving voice commands, timers, etc., aren’t affected. You can use your mobile application or the voice command “Alexa, turn off do not disturb” to toggle off the mode if you unintentionally activate it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Stop Alexa Spinning Blue Light?
The Alexa spinning blue light can be stopped by using the command “Alexa, stop” when it’s triggered by accidental voices from surroundings or the command “Alexa, stop guarding” to turn off the guarding mode. Sometimes it could be that Alexa has a firmware update; updating solves the spinning blue light.
As you can see in the above post, the spinning blue light has various causes. If Alexa is receiving and processing a command, the light should disappear when it’s done.
Why Is Alexa Blue and Not Responding?
Alexa is blue and unresponsive when performing a firmware update, which usually takes a moment or two. Also, when in pairing mode, Alexa has the blue spinning light and doesn’t respond to commands.
Again, it could be that Alexa doesn’t understand your command or thinks they were intended for another device. Ensure that your device is connected to the internet and re-try your order.
Final Thoughts
The Alexa blue spinning light can be caused by various reasons like Alexa having a firmware update, Alexa being in pairing or guarding mode, or accidental triggers from voices within or without the area. Primarily, Alexa exhibits the blue spinning light when receiving and processing your commands. Unless the blue spinning persists, there should be cause for concern.
You can apply the voice control commands “Alexa, stop” or “Alexa, stop guarding” to stop the blue spinning light under respective issues as discussed in the post. This should undoubtedly solve your spinning blue light issue.
