Picture of the Amazon Alexa Echo Dot 3rd gen speaker light ring, showing set at one quarter volume.

How to Factory Reset Amazon Alexa Dot

Explains how to factory reset Amazon Alexa Dot. Now a complete factory reset might be necessary sometimes. Why?  Because maybe you’d like to sell your old Dot, especially with newer versions coming out so often these days. Or perhaps you just want to connect your Alexa to a new Amazon account, or to different WiFi. So, with those tasks in mind, this post details factory resetting the Amazon Alexa Dot speakers.  For that, follow the steps next.

Resetting unlinks the Amazon Alexa Dot from its current Amazon account.  Factory reset also assures that the Dot forgets its current WiFi settings.

Warning: After the factory reset, your Alexa speaker will not work until set up again.

Also, to save yourself some set up time, before factory resetting, try powering off the speaker for fifteen seconds. Do this by disconnecting its power cable either from the wall outlet, or from the unit itself. Then wait for a quarter minute, and then connect it again.

Powering OFF then ON often restores proper operation without the headaches of a full factory reset. However, if power cycling does not fix the speaker, then read on. We give the proper factory reset procedure, which often restores correct operation.

How to Factory Reset Amazon Alexa Dot: The 3rd Generation Model

1. Connect the Power Cable

First, connect the Amazon Alexa Dot 3rd Generation speaker to its AC power cord, as shown next.

Picture of the Amazon Alexa Dot 3rd Generation speaker AC power adapter, plugged into speaker back.
Amazon Alexa Dot gen 3 speaker AC power adapter, plugged into speaker back.

2. Next, Plug the Adapter End into a Working Wall Outlet

See this as shown next.

Picture of the 3rd Generation Amazon Alexa Dot smart speaker powering up, showing its AC adapter plugged into standard wall outlet.
Amazon Alexa Dot Gen 3 smart speaker powering up, showing its AC adapter plugged into standard wall outlet.

Then, wait for the Amazon Alexa Dot 3 to finish booting.  That completes when either the light ring goes dark, or it starts flashing orange, red, or purple.

3. Next, Press and Hold the Action Button for Five Seconds

Hold in the Action button until the light ring turns orange.  Also the speaker then says that it is entering Setup mode.  On this 3rd gen of the Amazon Alexa Dot line, the Action button also functions as the Factory Reset button.

Picture of the Dot 3rd generation speaker, top view, showing the Action button highlighted.
Our Dot 3 speaker, top view, showing the Action button highlighted.

4. Finally, What Happens After Amazon Alexa Dot 3 Factory Reset?

Your Amazon Alexa Dot 3rd Generation is now back to factory state, and is in setup mode.

How to Factory Reset Amazon Alexa Dot: The Gen 2 Model

Power up this speaker before resetting.

Picture of the Amazon Alexa Dot 2nd Gen speaker, out of box, with protective plastic removed. Ready for reset.
Showing the 2nd gen Amazon Alexa Dot speaker, out of box, with protective plastic removed. Ready for reset.

1. Connect your Amazon Alexa Dot 2 to Power

Connect the Echo Dot 2 to its USB power adapter. The light ring glows blue for a time, and then goes dark. This means successful boot up.

2. Press the Amazon Alexa Dot 2 Factory Reset Button Combo

See our Where is the Amazon Echo Dot Reset Button post. It gives details on how to find the reset button on the 1st and 2nd gen Amazon Alexa Dot devices.

Then, once the light ring goes black, press and hold the Mic Mute and Volume Down buttons. Press these at the same time for the same amount of time.

3. Wait for Amazon Alexa Dot 2 Reset to Finish

After a several-seconds pause, the light ring again goes black for a brief pause, and then glows orange.

4. Amazon Alexa Dot 2 Factory Reset Now Done

You have now factory reset your Alexa Echo Dot 2 speaker and restored its factory default settings. It has now entered setup mode.

How to Factory Reset Amazon Alexa Dot: The Generation 1 Model

Picture of the 1st Generation Dot, front top view.
The 1st Generation Dot, front top view.

1. Power Up the Amazon Alexa Dot 1

Connect the 1st Gen Alexa Echo Dot to its USB power supply. The light ring then light up blue for a bit, and then goes off once the Dot finishes booting.

2. Press the Amazon Alexa Dot 1 Factory Reset Button

Once the light ring goes black, use a paper clip end to press in and hold the Reset button. Keep pressing for five to ten seconds. Then, let it go when the light ring turns orange, and then blue.

3. Wait for the Amazon Alexa Dot 1 Factory Reset to Finish

After a several-seconds pause, the light ring goes black for a brief few seconds, and then turns orange.

4. Amazon Alexa Dot 1 Factory Reset Now Done

You have now restored your Alexa Echo Dot 1st Gen speaker to its factory default state. The speaker enters setup mode after a factory reset.

Set Up Again, or Pack Up

You may now unplug, pack, and give your Echo 2 to someone else.  Do not fear that they’ll have access to the Alexa settings on your personal Amazon account. They will not.  Factory reset erased those prior values from the Echo 2 speaker.

Or, you can set it up once again on your existing account. Once the light ring turns orange, the unit stays in setup mode until someone runs the setup routine. The Echo 2 will not work until properly set up and linked to an Amazon account.

Other Posts About the Amazon Alexa Dot

  1. How to Reconnect Amazon Alexa Dot to WiFi
  2. How to Connect Amazon Alexa Dot to Bluetooth Speaker

References

  1. Alexa Official Product and Support Page
  2. Where to Buy an Amazon Alexa Dot