Picture of the Amazon Echo Dot 2nd Gen, with Reset Button Combination Highlighted. Includes the Mic Off and Volume Down buttons.

How to Reset Alexa Dot, Hard Factory Reset

The Alexa Dot talking speakers need a reset every now and then. This returns them to out-of-box, factory default settings. Resetting them also fixes many abnormal behaviors they might show. So here, we show how to reset Alexa Dot smart speakers. Why? Because it readies them for sale to another smart speaker fan. Both the original Alexa Dot as well as the 2nd Gen version are reset as follows.

How to Reset Alexa Dot 1 Instructions

How to reset Alexa Dot: Picture of the Echo Dot 1st generation speaker, front top view.
Showing the 1st Generation Dot , front top view.
  1. Power up the Amazon Echo 1. Connect the 1st Gen Amazon Echo Dot to its USB power supply. The light ring will light up blue for a bit, and then go off once the Dot finishes booting.
  2. Press the Amazon Echo Dot 1 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 hard reset to finish. After a several-seconds pause, the light ring goes completely dark for a brief few seconds, and then turns orange.
  4. Reset now done. You have now restored your Amazon Echo Dot 1st Generation speaker to its factory default settings. The speaker enters setup mode after a successful reset.
  5. Set up again, or pack up. You may now give your Amazon Echo Dot 1 to a loved one or buyer. Don’t worry that they’ll access your personal speaker settings in your Amazon account. Reset erases those prior values from your Amazon Echo Dot. Or, you can set it up once again on your existing account. Once the light ring turns orange, the unit remains in setup mode until someone runs the setup procedure anew. The Amazon Echo Dot won’t work fully until properly set up and linked to an Amazon account again.




How to Reset Alexa Dot 2 Instructions

Reset Amazon Echo Dot: Picture of the Echo Dot 2nd Gen speaker, out of box, with protective plastic removed. Ready for reset.
Showing the 2nd gen Echo Dot speaker, out of box, with protective plastic removed. Ready for reset.
  1. Connect to power. Connect the Amazon Echo Dot 2 to its USB power adapter. The light ring will glow blue for a time, and then go dark. This means that booting is done.
  2. Press the Amazon Echo Dot 2 reset button combo. See our Where is the Amazon Echo Dot Reset Button post, for details on how to find the reset button on the 1st and 2nd generation Echo Dot devices. At any rate, 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 hard reset to finish. After a several-seconds pause, the light ring again goes black for a brief pause, and then glows orange.
  4. Reset Amazon Echo Dot 2 now finished. You have now successfully reset your Amazon Echo Dot 2 speaker to its factory default settings. It has now entered setup mode.
  5. Set up or sell it. You may now unplug, pack, and give your Amazon Echo Dot 2 to someone else. Have no fear that they’ll see your Echo Dot 2 settings on your personal Amazon account. Those values have now cleared from that speaker. Or, you can set it up once again on your account and WiFi. Once the light ring turns orange, the unit stays in setup mode until someone does the setup procedure on it again. The Amazon Echo Dot 2 will not function fully, until properly set up and linked to the internet and an Amazon account.
  6. Done!

Related Posts to How to Reset Alexa Dot Speaker

  1. How to Reset Amazon Echo Gen 2 Dot Back to Factory Default State
  2. How to Reset Honeywell Thermostat RTH9580WF
  3. Reset Wonderboom Bluetooth Speaker Instructions
  4. How to Reset JBL Clip 2 Speaker
  5. How to Reset Echo Spot Smart Speaker, Restore Proper Operation

Other Posts About the Alexa Dot Speakers

  1. Amazon Alexa Dot Picture Gallery
  2. Pairing JBL Charge 3 with Amazon Alexa Echo Dot
  3. Alexa Echo Dot Reset Instructions
  4. How to Set Sleep Timer on Amazon Alexa Echo Dot
  5. Echo Dot 3 Setup Instructions for Amazon Alexa 3rd Generation Dot

References

  1. How to Set Up your Alexa Dot, from Amazon

Revision History

  • 2021-09-10: Added a Suggested Reading section.
  • 2020-05-12: Added more tags and the Other Posts About section.
  • 2019-04-26: Added tags and deleted script code for ads.
  • 2018-03-27: Originally published.