If your Echo Show 21 is acting sluggish, stuck on a loading screen, or you're planning to hand it off to someone else, a factory reset will wipe the slate clean. The process on Amazon's biggest smart display is a little different from the smaller Echo Shows, mainly because there's no physical Action button like the round Echo Dots use.
The fastest way to reset the Echo Show 21: open Settings > Device Options > Reset to Factory Defaults. Confirm the prompt, and the device wipes itself and reboots into setup mode. Takes about two minutes from start to finish.
What Actually Gets Erased
A factory reset clears everything stored locally. That means all Wi-Fi networks, paired Bluetooth devices, any locally cached preferences, and your Amazon account credentials are gone. Smart home devices paired through the Echo Show 21's built-in hub (Zigbee, Matter, Thread) will need to be re-added after the reset.
What stays on Amazon's servers: your Alexa voice profile, Routines, Skills, shopping lists, and Alexa+ subscription (free with Prime, $19.99/month standalone in the US). Those reattach automatically when you log back in through the Alexa app after the reset. The Fire TV interface and any downloaded Fire TV apps also get wiped, so you'll need to re-sign in to streaming services afterward.
If you use picture frame mode and have photos saved locally on the device (not in Amazon Photos cloud), those get erased too. Cloud-based photo libraries are fine.
The On-Screen Factory Reset
This is the default method and works as long as the touchscreen is responsive and the device is powered on. From the home screen, swipe down from the top to open Quick Settings. Tap the Settings gear icon. Scroll down and tap Device Options, then tap Reset to Factory Defaults. The screen asks you to confirm. Tap Reset and the Show 21 begins wiping.
The screen goes black, then the Amazon logo appears. After about 90 seconds the device reboots into setup mode, where it shows a welcome screen and starts broadcasting its setup network. You'll see a blue light ring around the screen while it's booting.
Reset Through the Alexa App (If the Screen Is Unresponsive)
If the touchscreen isn't working well, you can still reset remotely from the Alexa app on your phone. Open the app and tap Devices in the bottom right. Find your Echo Show 21 in the device list and tap on it. Scroll all the way to the bottom and tap Factory Reset. Confirm and the device wipes itself.
This method requires the Echo Show 21 to be online and connected to your Amazon account. If it's completely offline (no Wi-Fi), the app won't be able to reach it. But if the device is online but the screen is laggy or frozen, this is a good backup route.
When the Screen Is Frozen and Won't Respond
Total screen lockup is rare on the Echo Show 21, but the 21.5-inch panel can occasionally hang, especially during a firmware update or after using Fire TV mode for extended periods (one of the known issues). Unplug the power cable from the back of the device, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in. The device reboots. Try the on-screen reset again once the home screen loads.
If the screen freezes immediately after booting, try a forced power cycle: unplug, press and hold any spot on the screen (it won't register, but it forces the device into a deeper hardware state), then plug back in while keeping pressure on the screen. Release after 10 seconds. This isn't an official reset method, but it can break a stuck boot loop. After that, go straight into Settings > Device Options > Reset to Factory Defaults.
Deregister the Device Without Resetting
If you're selling or giving away the Echo Show 21 but want to keep your Wi-Fi and account data intact for the new owner, you can deregister it first. In the Alexa app, go to Devices, tap your Echo Show 21, scroll to Deregister, and confirm. This removes the device from your Amazon account but leaves Wi-Fi and local settings on the unit.
For security, always do both: deregister AND factory reset. Deregistering alone leaves your Wi-Fi password cached on the device. Anyone who performs a factory reset later would be able to see your network credentials if they know where to look. A full reset wipes everything, including that cached data.
Factory reset also clears scaling issues that some older Skills cause on the 21-inch display. If picture frame mode has been resetting your photo source after firmware updates, a reset can clean that up as well.
