Your Amazon Echo no longer seems to respond to commands, would you like to reset it to see if the situation returns to normal, but you don’t know how to do this? You have decided to sell your Amazon Echo, so you would like to return it to the factory state to be able to delete all your data on it, but you don’t know how to do it? Don’t worry, these are very simple procedures to complete and, if you want, I can explain how to do it.
If you dedicate a few minutes of your free time, I can tell you how to reset Alexa by acting in various ways: first of all I will explain how to reset an Amazon Echo device by restarting it, then I will show you the complete procedure to restore it to the factory state. Finally, for completeness of information, I will explain how to dissociate an Alexa device from an Amazon account and how to “reset” an Alexa account by deleting all the registrations associated with it.
So, what do you think? Are you ready to get started? Yup? Perfect, make yourself comfortable, set aside five minutes of free time and dedicate yourself to reading the following. Try to put into practice the “tips” that I am about to give you and I assure you that, in no time at all, you will succeed in your intent. I wish you a big good luck for everything!
Index
- How to restart Alexa
- How to reset Alexa devices
- Echo Dot
- Echo
- Echo Plus
- Echo devices with screen
- Echo Input
- Other Echo devices
- How to set up Alexa after reset
- How to reset Alexa account
- Unpair a device from your account
- Delete the recordings
How to restart Alexa
If you intend to reset Alexa following problems or malfunctions of an Amazon Echo device, I advise you not to go straight to the “hard way”, but to try a more “soft” approach, for example with a restart of the device.
By going to restart Alexa , in fact, you can solve any blocks of the same and fix problems, such as those related to the Wi-Fi connection (assuming that their cause is not attributable to the router in use or, even, to a malfunction of the line) or to the failure to transpose the commands. In short, as also happens with PCs and smartphones, a restart can be the panacea for all ills … but you have to know how to do it!
If you’re looking for an on / off button on your Amazon Echo, you could go on forever… because there isn’t! To restart an Alexa device, in fact, you simply have to disconnect it from the power supply , wait a few seconds and then reconnect it.
When you turn it on again, invoking Alexa, you will be able to find out if the problems you previously detected have been solved or not. If not, you can continue by going to carry out the “real” reset of the device, as explained in the next chapter .
How to reset Alexa devices
At this point, let’s get to the real heart of the matter and let’s find out how to reset Alexa in the true sense of the term, that is to say by returning the device to the factory state. Below, therefore, you will find all the instructions you need, relating to the various Amazon Echo models in circulation, both the most recent and not.
In all cases, remember that while you reset your device, your smart home devices continue to stay connected.
Echo Dot
If what you want to do is reset Alexa Echo Dot , you have to do the following: press and hold the Action button (the one with the circle icon ) for 25 seconds . After that, the light ring will first turn orange, then blue, then turn off and turn orange again, waiting for a new device setup via the Alexa app.
The directions are valid for all models, so you can follow them to reset Alexa Echo Dot 4 , to reset Alexa Echo Dot 3 etc.
Echo
If, on the other hand, you want to reset Alexa Echo , press and hold the Microphone Mute (the one with the microphone icon crossed out ) and Volume (-) keys for 20 seconds . The light ring will then turn orange, waiting for a new device configuration via the Alexa app. The indications in question are valid for devices of older generations .
To intervene on the third and fourth generation Echo , however, hold down the Action button (the one with the circle icon ) for about 20 seconds and wait for the light ring to turn off and on, then the device enters configuration mode.
Echo Plus
Let’s see, now, how to reset Alexa Echo Plus . All you have to do is press and hold the Mute (the one with the microphone icon crossed out ) and Volume (-) keys for 20 seconds . Afterwards, the light ring will turn off and then turn on again, waiting for a new device setup via the Alexa app.
Echo devices with screen
If you want to reset Alexa with screen , for which, for example, you want to reset Alexa Echo Show 5 or you want to reset Alexa Echo Show 8 , you can reset the device to its factory state via the settings menu. To access the latter, say the voice command “ Alexa, go to settings ” or swipe from top to bottom on the display and press on the gear icon .
At this point, select the item Options of the device , then that Reset to factory settings and confirm your intentions by pressing the> button that appears on the screen. When prompted, then follow the instructions you see on the display to proceed with the configuration again.
Alternatively, you can reset your Amazon Echo with screen by simultaneously pressing the Volume Mute (the one with the crossed out circle icon ) and Volume (-) keys for about 15 seconds , until the Amazon logo appears on the display.
Echo Input
If you need to reset Alexa Echo Input , instead, do this: press and hold the Action key (the one with the circle icon ) for 25 seconds . Thereafter, the light ring will first turn orange, then blue, then turn off and on again, turning orange again. You will then need to perform a new device configuration via the Alexa app.
Other Echo devices
If you have other devices in the Echo range than those already indicated, below you will find instructions on how to proceed with some of the most popular.
- Echo Auto– Press the Mute button (the one with the crossed out circle ) and the Action button (the one with the circle icon ) for 15 seconds , until Alexa confirms that the reset is in progress. Wait for a blinking orange light to appear in the light bar , then set up again.
- Echo Studio– Press and hold the Volume (-) button and the Mute button (the one with the crossed out circle ) for 20 seconds , after which the light ring will turn off and on again to proceed with a new setup.
- Echo Flex– press and hold the Action button (the one with the circle icon ) for 20 seconds , then the LED will flash orange, then turn off. Then wait for the LED to turn blue, then orange again. At this point, the device has entered the configuration mode.
If any steps are not clear to you and / or you need more information on how to reset Alexa on additional devices, I invite you to consult this page of the official Amazon support , where there are detailed instructions on how to reset the whole Echo family.
How to set up Alexa after reset
Once you have completed the procedure for resetting Alexa, you must go to configure your Amazon Echo again: in this regard, if you have not yet done so, download the Amazon Alexa app which is available for Android (also on alternative stores ) and iOS / iPadOS , launch it and log in with your Amazon account .
At this point, select the Devices tab located at the bottom right, press the (+) button at the top right and select the Add device option from the menu that appears on the screen. Once this is done, select the Amazon Echo option and specify the exact type of Echo device you are about to set up, to kick off the product setup wizard.
If you do not see the orange light on your Amazon Echo , make sure you have performed the reset procedure correctly and, if necessary, repeat it. Then, press the Yes button in the Amazon Alexa app and access the menu with the Wi-Fi settings of the smartphone or tablet used, in order to connect to the Amazon-xxx network generated by your Amazon Echo. Once this is done, go back to the Amazon Alexa app and press the Continue button .
Select, therefore, the Wi-Fi network to which you want to connect your Amazon Echo, wait a few seconds for this to be configured on the device (you may be asked to enter the relative access key) and press Continue again . Finally, indicate the room where you have located your Echo and press the Continue and Skip buttons .
Now you can use your Amazon Echo and interact with Alexa freely, following the directions I gave you in my tutorial on how Amazon Echo devices work .
How to reset Alexa account
Is your intent not to reset a device, but an Alexa account ? Then I think this is the most suitable section of the tutorial for you. In fact, below you will find explained how to disassociate an Echo device from an Amazon account and how to delete the registrations associated with an Alexa account.
Unpair a device from your account
If you want to dissociate an Echo device from your Amazon account and, therefore, have the possibility to connect it to another account, first of all start the Amazon Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet, then go to the Devices tab located at the bottom right, in the Echo & Alexa section by selecting the appropriate item located at the top and select the name of the device to remove from your account.
Once this is done, select the gear wheel icon at the top right, then scroll down the new screen displayed, press on the word Cancel registration and confirm your choice, by answering Cancel registration to the warning that appears on the screen.
Well: now all you have to do is set up your Echo again and associate it with the Amazon account you want. It was simple, wasn’t it?
Delete the recordings
Do you want to reset your Alexa account, meaning you want to delete the recordings that Amazon keeps when a voice command is given to Echo devices? No problem, you can do that too. However, before proceeding, please be aware that Amazon reserves the right to keep certain records, such as those regarding subscription requests, online purchases, messages to friends and setting alarms (to ensure a better functioning of the service, say from the company led by Jeff Bezos).
That said, to proceed with the deletion of the registrations linked to your Alexa account, you can simply say the command “Alexa, delete everything I said today” which, however, as easily understood, only deletes the registrations of the last 24 hours.
To delete older registrations, you need to use the Amazon Alexa app or the management panel of your Amazon account.
In the first case, start the Amazon Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet, press the More button located at the bottom right and select the Settings item from the menu that opens. Subsequently, press on the wording Alexa Privacy , on that Examine the voice history and choose which recordings to display from the View drop-down menu located at the top.
Once this is done, click on the item Delete all recordings from [time interval] , respond by pressing the Remove button to the message that appears on the screen and you’re done. Alternatively, you can delete individual entries by selecting them and pressing the button with the adjacent bin .
If you prefer to act as a computer, view this page from the browser you usually use, log in to your Amazon account (if necessary), press on the item Examine the voice history and proceed as explained above in the steps dedicated to the Alexa app to smartphone.