Top view of the Echo Input device, with the USB power cord connected.
The Alexa Echo Input device features just two buttons and a light dot in its top center. In this buttons guide, we explore these buttons as well as the input and output ports, and the lights. We show where each button is, and then then discuss what each button / plug is for, and when to press them to access the many features of this receiver like unit. Finally, we touch a bit on some of the light dot color patterns you’ll see when pressing these buttons.
Most Amazon Echo devices feature a microphone off / on button. Sometimes called the MUTE button, this circular button, 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 light ring and mute button also glow red to show that the unit will not hear you, as pictured next.
When muted, press this button to un mute / turn on the mics again. Once unmuted, the red lights go dark as shown next, and the speaker once again responds to voice commands.
The round Action button has a raised, white dot in its recessed center. We find this button at three o’clock on the top panel of most of these speakers, as pointed at by the green arrow we drew in, in the next picture.
Quickly press and release the Action button to get the speaker’s attention instead of calling out her name with your voice. Raise her in this way when you must be quiet, or in loud places where she might have trouble hearing you utter her wake word.
You can also reset an Amazon Echo to factory default settings and state by pressing and gently holding in the Action button until the hard reset happens. Reset 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.
The Amazon Echo Input has a two-hole panel, found on the back side. Herein, are the only two connection ports; the AUX Out and USB power input ports, as pictured next.
The hole on the left is a 3.5mm line level stereo audio output port. This supports connecting your Echo Input to a home hi-fi system, so you can hear it at room filling volume. You may also plug in a set of earbuds for private listening, as this unit has enough audio power to well drive common earbuds.
The hole on the right is the micro USB DC power input plug.
There are two lamps on the Alexa Echo Input device. The first is in the Mute button, and it lights up red when the built-in far field microphones are switched OFF, as shown above.
The other lamp, the status light, is a dot, also on the top of the unit, in the center. This lamp also glows red when the Mute function is activated, as shown above. But it also blinks cyan and blue as the unit boots, and it flashes white when you are playing something through this device and make remote volume changes.
Plus it pulsates yellow and orange when the unit is in Setup mode, as shown next.
Well, that wraps up this summary of all the buttons on the Echo Input Alexa device. With these, you can access all of the speaker’s commands. Also, the light dot lets you see device status too.
Shows how to pair Amazon Echo to Bluetooth speakers. These include the generation 1 and…
Many speakers including this one, feature a status light that glows red while charging /…
Many speakers, including this one, feature a status light that glows red while charging /…
Here we cover the Amazon Echo Dot 3rd generation power cable specs. This is the…
The Sony SRS XB32 speaker charging indicator is a small LED light in the back…
Here we cover the Echo Dot 3rd generation power adapter specs. This is the wall…