These days, most of our homes feature an Alexa device. Whether it’s an Echo, a dot, or the fancy new Show model, we make the most of this piece of technology. The device allows us to listen to music, get notifications, set reminders, and even have updates about our shopping.
It’s linked to our Amazon accounts more often than not, and with a few commands, we can make purchases without lifting a finger. And while these are great, often they confuse us, especially when they are new to our homes.
Commonly, we see a yellow ring light on our Alexa’s, either rarely or quite often. It leaves many of us wondering, what is it, and how do we get rid of it? Especially if it feels like you get the yellow ring flashing daily.
Well, wonder no more! Today I will walk you through what the yellow ring light means and how you can dismiss and disable it! No longer will you sit and wonder about the inner workings of your Alexa device!
Why is there a yellow ring on my Alexa?
The yellow ring or flashing light on your Alexa devices indicates that you have notifications from Amazon. As your Echo device is linked to your Amazon account, your device knows what you have bought from Amazon and will provide you with updates on your order.
When prompted, your device will read out what you bought and provide you with information about the status of your order. You will get notifications when your products are ready for shipment, it’s on their way, and when it arrives.
Typically, these will all be separate notifications. The first is to tell you that your package containing your items is ready to be dispatched. You usually get another notification when it has been dispatched.
For Prime users, you tend to get a notification on the day that your Amazon order is due to arrive. A final notification will come through when your package has been delivered.
These notifications will come through separately, all indicated by the yellow ring. It tends to flash in a circle and continue to flash until you ask Alexa to read the notification. Then it will be dismissed (more on that later).
If you have multiple devices linked to the one Amazon account, they will all have the flashing light indicating that you have a new notification to listen to.
If you are unsure what Amazon account your Echo devices are linked to, you can check this on the Alexa app or your Amazon app by checking your settings and scrolling to devices.
How to dismiss your Alexa yellow ring
When the yellow ring is flashing, the easiest way to dismiss it is to speak to Alexa. I know you don’t always want to speak to the device, but it’s the quickest way to get the yellow light gone!
Say, ‘Alexa, what notifications do I have?’ Alexa will then reel off your notifications, telling you if your parcel has been dispatched, arriving, or arrived. Once Alexa has stopped speaking, the yellow light will disappear and won’t appear again until you have another notification.
You can also log in to your Amazon account on your phone or device and view your messages. Here you can see your notifications and delete them if you wish.
Stop Alexa reading out product names from orders.
For those of you that don’t want Alexa to list your ordered items with your whole home! You will still get notifications, but the contents of your package won’t be shared, allowing you to keep them private if you wish.
To do this, follow the steps below.
- Open the Alexa app on your phone.
- Navigate to Menu and click on Settings.
- Scroll to Notifications and select Amazon Shopping/
- From here, you can toggle off the ‘give ordered items’ titles’ notification.
- Now your Alexa notifications will not list the products you ordered by name.
How to disable your Amazon Yellow Ring
For those that don’t want the yellow ring notifications, you can disable them from your Amazon Echo. Follow the steps below to disable the notifications and banish the yellow ring!
- Open the Alexa app on your phone.
- Select the Menu and then click on Settings.
- Next, select Notification and scroll until you see Amazon Shopping.
- Here you can toggle off the Yellow ring notification.
- Toggle off the ‘out for delivery’ and ‘delivered’ notifications.
- You won’t get the yellow flashing ring any longer now.
Are there benefits to the yellow notification?
The yellow ring notification can be very beneficial! It allows you to know when your parcel is arriving. It will tell you if the parcel is out for delivery, meaning you can stay in and wait for your parcel and allow you to stay up-to-date with your order without needing to open the Amazon app!
The yellow ring notification also tells you when the parcel is delivered. You can then grab the parcel quickly, ensuring you never miss a delivery again! It’s handy for those that live in bad neighborhoods.
If your parcel is usually left on your doorstep, it has the potential to be pinched, leaving you out of pocket and disappointed!
The notification allows you to grab the parcel quickly, reducing the risk of parcel theft.
Issues with the yellow ring?
As with all things in life, the yellow ring notification can be an issue for some Alexa users. Mainly if you have purchased a gift as a surprise for someone else in your home, the last thing you want is your device reading out the present.
That’s the surprise you spent months searching for wasted!
In these cases, it’s worth switching off the notification. Alexa won’t read out the order or let you know the order is arriving. You can check the information yourself using your Amazon app or the website, whichever is easier.
Remember, you can also hide orders if you share the Amazon account with the gift receiver.
Final word
And that is how to disable or dismiss the yellow light on your Alexa device! As you can see, the light notifying you of a parcel being dispatched or arriving can be incredibly handy, but also a massive spoiler if the receiver of the gift is in the room!
Play about with the settings easily and ensure that your device never ruins a surprise again!
