How to factory-reset your Amazon Echo device

You just bought a new Amazon Echo and now you’re planning on selling your old one online. Or maybe your Echo device has become unresponsive and you need to restore it. That means wiping any personal information you’ve got saved on your device, from voice purchasing settings to your personal calendar. To properly do so, you’ll need to reset your Amazon Echo to its factory settings.

Depending on which Amazon Echo device you have, the way you reset it may be different, so if you don’t know which generation of the device you own, you’ll need to figure it out. The original Echo from 2014 has only two buttons, while the second-gen Echo (2017) and most recent, third-generation Echo (2019) have four buttons. Here’s how to reset each type.

First-generation Amazon Echo: Locate the reset button on the bottom of the Echo speaker. Then use the end of a paper clip to press and hold the button for 5 seconds. The light ring on the device will turn orange and spin, signifying that it properly reset.

Second-generation Amazon Echo: This Echo speaker doesn’t have a reset button — you just need to hold down the Microphone and Volume Down buttons until the light ring turns orange. This usually takes about 20 seconds. The light ring will turn on and off again with a spinning orange light, which means it has reset.

Third-generation Amazon Echo: On this device you only need to push the Action button. That’s the button with the dot in the center. Press and hold for 25 seconds, or until the light ring pulses with a spinning orange light to show it’s been reset.

Note that you should only factory-reset your device if you’ll no longer be using it since it’ll completely erase your data. If you’re having trouble with your Echo device not working properly, you should try restarting it first by unplugging it from the wall and plugging it back in.

Need more smart speaker tips? Here’s how to turn your Amazon Echo into a free TV speaker, eight problems that plague the Amazon Echo and how to fix them and how to customize Alexa for a better Amazon Echo experience.