Where Alexa notifications come from and how to stop them
Alexa sends notifications through three separate channels: the Alexa app on your phone, the device itself (as sounds and lights), and your email. To stop them, you need to turn them off in the right place for each type. Most people find notifications pile up because they never disabled them after setup — Amazon turns many on by default, and they stay on unless you actively switch them off.
The fastest way is through the Alexa app on your phone, where you can disable notifications by category in about two minutes. If you want the device itself to stop making sounds and flashing lights, you'll also need to adjust the device settings. Email notifications require a separate step. This guide walks through all three.
Key Takeaways
- Open the Alexa app, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), select Settings, then Notifications to see every notification type you have turned on.
- Toggle off any notification category you don't want — reminders, shopping list updates, package deliveries, and Alexa communications are the most common ones people disable.
- To stop the device itself from making sounds and flashing, go to the device settings in the Alexa app and turn off notification sounds and visual indicators separately.
- Email notifications are controlled in a different menu: go to Settings, then Account Settings, then Login & Security to manage what Amazon sends to your email address.
Turning off notifications in the Alexa app
Open the Alexa app on your phone and tap the three horizontal lines in the bottom right corner. This opens the menu. Tap Settings, then scroll down and tap Notifications. You'll see a list of every notification type you have enabled — things like Reminders, Shopping List, Package Delivery, Alexa Communications, and Announcements.
Each one has a toggle switch next to it. Tap the toggle to turn it off. The switch will turn gray when it's disabled. If you want to keep some notifications but not others — for example, you might want package delivery alerts but not shopping list updates — toggle off only the ones you don't want. There's no penalty for leaving some on and turning others off.
Once you've made your changes, the app saves them automatically. You don't need to confirm or restart anything. The notifications you turned off will stop appearing in the app when ready.
Stopping sounds and lights on the physical device
If the Alexa device itself is still making sounds or flashing lights even after you've disabled notifications in the app, you need to adjust the device settings separately. Open the Alexa app and tap Devices in the bottom right corner. Select the specific device you want to change — if you have multiple Echos, you'll see them all listed.
Tap the device name to open its settings. Scroll down to find Notifications and tap it. You'll see options for notification sounds and visual indicators (the light ring). Toggle off Notification Sounds to stop the device from making noise. Toggle off Visual Indicators to stop the light from flashing. Save your changes — again, the app does this automatically.
If you want the device to still respond to voice commands but stay completely silent, you can also use the physical mute button on top of the device. Press it once to mute the speaker. The light ring will turn red to show the device is muted. Press it again to unmute. This is useful if you want temporary silence without changing settings.
Disabling email notifications from Amazon
Amazon also sends notifications to your email address about Alexa activity, package deliveries, and account changes. These are controlled separately from the app notifications. Open the Alexa app and tap the three lines menu, then tap Settings. Tap Account Settings, then Login & Security.
Scroll down to find the section for notifications or communication preferences — the exact name varies depending on your app version. You'll see checkboxes for different types of email notifications. Uncheck any you don't want to receive. Common ones include order updates, Alexa device notifications, and promotional emails. Save your changes.
If you can't find this setting in the app, you can also manage email notifications through your Amazon account on a web browser. Go to amazon.com, sign in, click Account & Lists in the top left, then select Your Account. Look for Communication Preferences or Notification Settings. The layout is the same — uncheck the boxes for emails you don't want.
Turning off notifications for specific contacts
If you use Alexa Communications to send messages between devices or to other people, you might get notifications every time someone sends you a message. You can turn off notifications from specific people without disabling the feature entirely. Open the Alexa app and tap the Communicate icon (the speech bubble) at the bottom.
Find the contact whose notifications you want to disable. Tap and hold their name — a menu will appear with options. Look for a setting like "Notifications" or "Mute Notifications" and toggle it off. That person can still send you messages, but you won't get a notification when they do. You'll only see the message if you open the Communicate section yourself.
What to do if notifications keep coming back
Sometimes after you disable a notification, it reappears a few days later. This usually happens when Amazon pushes a software update to your Alexa device or app. Updates can reset some settings to their defaults. If this happens, go back through the steps above and disable the notifications again.
If a specific notification type keeps coming back no matter how many times you disable it, try uninstalling and reinstalling the Alexa app. Close the app completely, go to your phone's app store (Google Play for Android, App Store for iPhone), find the Alexa app, and tap Uninstall. Then search for it again and tap Install. Sign back in with your Amazon account. This clears out any corrupted settings that might be causing the problem.
If the device itself is still sending notifications after you've disabled them in the app and restarted the app, restart the device. Unplug it from power for 30 seconds, then plug it back in. Wait for it to finish starting up (the light ring will cycle through colors, then settle). Try disabling the notifications again through the app.
Managing notifications by device type
Different Alexa devices have slightly different notification options. An Echo Show (the one with a screen) can display notifications as text on the screen, while an Echo Dot (the small speaker) can only make sounds. A Fire tablet with Alexa can show notifications as pop-ups. The steps to disable them are the same in the Alexa app, but what you're actually turning off depends on your device.
If you have multiple Alexa devices in your home, you can turn off notifications on some devices but keep them on others. For example, you might want reminders to alert on your bedroom Echo but stay silent on the kitchen Echo. Go to Devices in the app, select each device individually, and adjust its notification settings separately. This gives you control over which device bothers you and when.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off notifications stop Alexa from working?
No. Disabling notifications only stops Alexa from alerting you about things. The device will still respond to voice commands, play music, control smart home devices, and do everything else normally. You're just choosing not to be notified about certain events.
Can I turn off notifications for just one type of reminder?
Yes. In the Notifications menu of the Alexa app, each notification type has its own toggle. You can turn off shopping list notifications while keeping reminders on, or disable package delivery alerts while keeping Alexa Communications enabled. Toggle only the ones you don't want.
Why does my Alexa device still make sounds after I turned off notifications?
The device settings and app settings are separate. You may have disabled notifications in the app but not turned off notification sounds in the device settings. Go to Devices, select your device, find Notifications, and toggle off both Notification Sounds and Visual Indicators.
How do I stop Amazon from sending me emails about my Alexa?
Open the Alexa app, tap Settings, then Account Settings, then Login & Security. Look for Communication Preferences or Notification Settings and uncheck the boxes for email types you don't want. You can also manage this through amazon.com under Your Account.
If I mute my Alexa device, will it still respond to voice commands?
No. The mute button on top of the device silences both notifications and voice responses. The device will not respond to "Alexa" wake words while muted. Use the mute button only when you want complete silence. To keep voice commands working but stop notifications, use the app settings instead.