The Echo Show 21 is a beast of a smart display with its 21.5-inch panel, a 13MP camera for video calls, and a full Fire TV interface built right in. When something needs your attention, the device lets you know through specific color codes either on the bottom edge of the display or as an on-screen icon. Figuring out what a flashing yellow or pulsing orange means saves you a lot of guesswork.
Flashing yellow means you have a notification or missed message waiting. A solid red dot in the corner means the mic and camera are physically disabled. Pulsing orange means the device lost its Wi-Fi connection or is stuck in setup mode. Pulsing blue means Alexa is processing your request or the device just finished booting up.
Echo Show 21 Color Codes at a Glance
Here is the full breakdown of the status indicators on the Echo Show 21:
- Pulsing blue: Alexa is processing a request or the device is starting up.
- Pulsing orange: Wi-Fi connection is lost or the device is stuck in setup mode.
- Flashing yellow: A notification, message, or reminder is waiting.
- Solid red: Microphone and camera are turned off via the privacy toggle.
- Solid green: A Drop In or video call is actively connected.
- Pulsing green: An incoming Drop In or video call is ringing.
- Pulsing purple: A setup error occurred, often related to Wi-Fi or a captive portal.
- Flashing white: The volume is being adjusted.
Tell Alexa to Clear Flashing Yellow
The most common color people notice is the persistent flashing yellow. It usually means a shopping delivery update, a reminder, or a message from another Alexa user in your household. Just say "Alexa, what are my notifications?" and she will read them out and clear the light.
You can also swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the notification bell icon. Once you read them, the yellow stops. The Echo Show 21's large screen makes it easy to see the notification previews without walking up to it.
Pulsing Orange Means Check the Wi-Fi Connection
Pulsing orange is almost always a Wi-Fi problem. The Echo Show 21 supports Wi-Fi 6E, which includes the fast 6 GHz band. If your router is broadcasting a separate 6 GHz SSID, make sure the Show 21 is connected to it or back to the 2.4 or 5 GHz band if the signal is weak in that room.
Open the Alexa app, go to Devices > your Echo Show 21 > Wireless > Change. Re-enter your password and wait 30 seconds. If the orange stays, power cycle the device by unplugging it for 30 seconds and plugging it back in.
Solid Red Means the Camera and Mic Are Muted
If you see a solid red indicator, you have physically pressed the mic-and-camera-off button on top of the device. The 13MP camera is disabled, and all microphones are cut. This is a hardware toggle, so no app setting can override it.
Press the button once more to clear the red indicator and re-enable the camera and mics. The button itself will stop glowing red once it is back in the active position.
Pulsing Purple During Setup or After a Router Change
A pulsing purple indicator means Alexa connected to your Wi-Fi network but can't reach the Amazon cloud servers. This happens when the router has a captive portal (like a hotel or airport network that requires a login) or your DNS settings are misconfigured.
Restart your main router by unplugging it for 60 seconds. Then power cycle the Echo Show 21. If you are on a network with a captive portal, open the Alexa app and complete the web login through the device's network settings.
Fix Interface Scaling for Older Skills
The Echo Show 21's display is much larger than other Echo Shows. Some older Skills and third-party apps don't automatically scale to fill the 21.5-inch screen. This can sometimes cause odd visual glitches or parts of the interface to be cut off.
Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display Scaling and toggle the scaling option. This forces apps to resize properly and clears up most display-related oddities. If a specific Skill looks weird, deleting and reinstalling it from the Skills store usually forces the developer's latest layout.
Flashing or Dropping Out in Fire TV Mode
The Echo Show 21 comes with a built-in Fire TV interface that some users rely on for streaming. A known quirk of this model is that the Fire TV dashboard occasionally drops back to the home screen after extended use, sometimes causing the screen to flicker or flash.
First, make sure your Fire TV interface is up to date. Go to Settings > Device Options > Check for Software Updates. If the problem persists, a quick power cycle of the device usually resets the Fire TV session cleanly and stops the random dropouts.
Picture Frame Mode Resets After Firmware Updates
Amazon pushes firmware updates automatically, and on the Show 21, these updates have been known to reset your Picture Frame photo source back to the default Amazon Photos library. Instead of your custom Drive or album selection, you might see stock images one morning.
To fix this, swipe down and head to Settings > Home Screen & Clock > Photo Display. Re-select your preferred album or Drive folder. The display will start using your photos again within a minute or two.
Slow Camera Auto-Framing During Video Calls
The Echo Show 21 has a 13MP camera with auto-framing that is supposed to track you as you move around the room. Some users report it being slow to track multiple people or needing a kickstart to engage.
Go to Settings > Camera > Auto-Frame and toggle it off, wait 10 seconds, and toggle it back on. This recalibrates the tracking software. Also, ensure the camera lens is clean and the room is well-lit for the best tracking performance.
Factory Reset the Echo Show 21 to Clear Stuck Colors
If the device is cycling through multiple colors continuously and not responding to voice or touch, a factory reset will clear out the software state causing the loop. Go to Settings > Device Options > Reset to Factory Defaults. Tap to confirm the reset.
This wipes the device completely, including Skills, Wi-Fi networks, and paired smart home devices.
