Alexa Echo Dot Buttons

Echo Dot 2 smart speaker, top view, showing the Action button highlighted.

The Alexa Echo Dot speaker features several buttons and a light ring . Here though, we give the Alexa Echo Dot buttons definitions and functions. Find also a brief description of the input and output ports. We also show where each one is on the speaker. Then we discuss what each button / plug is for, and when to press them. These descriptions give you full access the many features of this popular smart speaker. Finally, we touch a bit on some of the light ring patterns you’ll see when pressing these buttons.

Alexa Echo Dot Buttons: The Details

Volume Down and Up Buttons

The Alexa Echo Dot speakers have two push-button volume controls on the top. These are either round depressions, with raised minus and plus symbols inside. Or as on the Dot 4, they resemble symbols on the top of the ball. They decrease and increase the speaker volume.

An Alexa Echo Dot speaker with its Volume Up and Down buttons highlighted.

Press the minus button to lower speaker volume. Press the plus button to raise the volume. Note that adjusting volume on one speaker does not affect other Alexa Echo Dot speakers in the account. Indeed each device remembers its own volume setting.

The light ring briefly lights up when you press either UP or DOWN button. It glows white and shows the current volume setting. The less of the ring that glows, the lower the volume setting. The more of it that glows, the louder. See the following picture show how the light ring lights depending on volume setting.

The light ring on the speaker, showing set at one quarter volume.

The ring extinguishes a couple seconds after the last volume button press.

The light ring, showing one half volume. Finger setting volume.

Each press of either volume key illuminates the light ring in white.

What the light ring shows when speaker set to full max volume.

Mic Mute / Mic OFF Button

The Alexa Echo Dot speaker also features a microphone off / on button. This cbutton, with a raised STOP symbol inside, mutes and unmutes the built in far field mics. When muted, the speaker hears nothing. So, it does not respond to the wake word, or any other voice command for that matter.

See the Mic Mute button, pointed at by the green arrow in the next picture.

The speaker with its Microphone Mute / Mic Off button highlighted.

The light ring and mute button also glow red. This shows that the unit will not hear you.

The speaker muted, showing its light ring and Mic Off On button glowing red.

When muted, press this button to un mute / turn on the mics again. Once unmuted, the red light ring goes dark as shown next, and the speaker once again responds to voice commands.

The Alexa Echo Dot 3 top view. Showing all its buttons.

Alexa Echo Dot Buttons: The Action and Reset Button

The round Action button has a raised, white dot in its recessed center. We find this button at three o’clock on the speaker.

Alex Echo Dot speaker, top view, showing the -Action- button highlighted.

Quickly press and release the Action button to get Alexa’s attention instead of calling out her name with your voice. Raise her in this way when you must be extra quiet. Or use the Action button in loud places where she might have trouble hearing you say her wake word.

You can also reset the Alexa Echo Dot to factory default settings and state by pressing the Action button. Then hold it in until the hard reset happens. This usually begins in five to seven seconds.

Finally, there is a light sensor beneath the white dot on this triple duty button. This “electric eye” senses the ambient light shining on the speaker, and adjusts the brightness of its light ring accordingly. The brighter the surrounding light, the brighter the ring glows whenever it lights up. The darker the area, the dimmer the light ring glow.

Alexa Echo Dot Connection Ports

The Dot also sports a two-hole panel, located on the back side. Herein, are the only two connection ports; the AUX Out and DC power input ports, as pictured next.

A typical Alexa Echo Dot speaker, rear view, showing the Power and Audio Out ports panel.

The hole on the left is the DC power port. The hole on the right is a 3.5mm line level audio output plug. This supports connecting your smart speaker to your home theater system for louder music.

Well, that wraps up this summary of all the buttons on the Alexa Echo Dot speaker. With these, you can access all of the speaker’s commands. Also, the light ring lets you see speaker status as well. Enjoy!