Picture of the Amazon Echo Dot 1st Generation, Front Top View.

How to Reset Echo Dot Gen 1 Speaker

Now that the gen 1 Amazon Echo Dot is no longer the most recent version of this smart speaker, you may be thinking about upgrading to the newer speakers.  So, you may wish to reset Echo Dot gen 1 smart speaker to sell or gift your old one  to a stranger buyer. Or perhaps you just want to link it to a different Amazon account, or connect it to a new wireless network.  In either case, we’re here to help.

In order to reset your Echo Dot Gen 1, and restore its factory default settings, perform the following steps. Resetting unlinks this speaker from its current Amazon Alexa account, and assures that it forgets its current WiFi connection settings.

Note that you may not need to reset if you just want to fix erratic behavior.  This before doing a full reset, try powering off the unit for fifteen seconds.  Do this by disconnecting its USB power cable either from the AC wall outlet, or unplugging the cable from the speaker itself. Wait a quarter minute, and then power it on again. Power cycling in this way often makes this smart speaker work well again. But if the problem persists, read below for the proper reset procedure.

Warning: Once reset, you’ll lose control of the gen 1 Echo Dot from the Amazon account where you managed it from before. To get that control back, run through the setup procedure again, and re link it to that account via the Alexa app.

This Dot has entered setup mode when the light ring turns orange, which means that the reset operation has finished successfully.

How to Reset Echo Dot Gen 1 Speaker, Step by Step

Front top view of the Echo Dot gen 1 speaker.
Front top view of the Echo Dot gen 1 speaker.

1. Connect to Wall Power

Connect the gen 1 Echo Dot to its USB power. The light ring will light up blue for a time, and then go out.

2. Press the Reset Button

Once the light ring goes completely dark, use a straightened paper clip to press and hold the recessed Reset button for about five to ten seconds, until the light ring turns orange, and then blue.





3. Wait for the Reset to Complete

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

4. Done with How to Reset Echo Dot Gen 1 ! 

Your Echo Dot speaker has now been restored to its factory default settings and has entered setup mode.

5. Set up your Speaker Again, or Pack it Up for Sale

You may now unplug, pack, and give your speaker to someone else without fear that they’ll have access to the Alexa settings on your personal Amazon account. Those prior values have now been erased from the your Echo Dot gen 1. 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 published setup procedure. The speaker will not work properly until set up and linked to an Amazon account.

Related Posts to How to Reset Echo Dot Gen 1 Speaker

  1. Resetting Amazon Alexa Echo Dot 2nd Gen to Factory Default
  2. Reset Echo Spot to Factory Settings, How To Hard Reset
  3. How to Link Pandora to Echo Dot Speaker, Play Pandora Through Alexa Echo Dot
  4. Resetting the JBL Charge 3 Power Bank Speaker
  5. How to Reset Chromecast Audio to Factory Settings

References for How to Reset Echo Dot Gen 1

  1. What is Amazon Echo? on Wikipedia
  2. Amazon Echo Dot 1st Gen on CNET

Revision History

  • 2020-07-14: First published.