Don’t get rid of that old Amazon Echo before doing these things

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If you’ve recently upgraded to a new Echo device, you might be wondering what to do with your older device. Sure, you could move it to another room, so Alexa is available in every room. That does add some new Alexa features, such as stereo sound and multi-room music playback.

You might just want to clear out the space though, and either gift or sell your older Echo device. You’ll want to do some housekeeping before that though, as your Echo devices are a treasure trove of your personal information.

Oh, and while you’re here, go enter our giveaway for a new Amazon Echo Studio. Then, read on to find out what to do with your existing Echo device if you win.

Remove your Echo device from your Amazon account

You don’t want whoever that buys your Echo device to have issues registering it to their own account, not to mention if their queries start appearing on your devices instead. Here’s how to remove it from your Amazon account.

1. Open up the Alexa app on your phone and tap on Devices
2. Tap on All Devices then tap on the Echo device you want to remove. If you named them all when setting them up, it might say something like Kitchen Echo
3. Scroll down to the Registered To section, and tap on Deregister
4. You’ll get a popup asking to confirm, tap on Deregister and it will be removed from your account
5. You can also go to the Amazon website, and find Content and Devices in your account settings.
6. Click on Echo, then on the device you want to remove, and click on Deregister

Give it a Factory Reset

Now they can link their own Amazon account without issues, it’s time to factory reset the device. The last thing anyone wants is your details to magically appear on their Amazon account once they plug it in…

How you factory reset the Echo depends on exactly which device it is:

1. First-generation Amazon Echo or Dot: Turn the Echo speaker upside-down to find the reset button, and press it. You’ll need a paperclip or a similarly thin object. You’ll know that the reset worked if the light ring on the device turns orange and starts spinning.
2. Second generation Amazon Echo and Dot: Press and hold the Microphone off and Volume Down buttons until the light ring turns orange
3. Third generation Amazon Echo and Dot: Push the Action button and hold (it’s the one with the dot in the center). Keep holding it until the light ring turns orange and spins
4. Amazon Echo Studio: Press and hold the Microphone off and Volume Down buttons until the light ring turns orange and turns off and on
5. Amazon Echo Flex: Press and hold the Action button for 20 seconds, until it turns off and back on again
6. Amazon Echo Show: Press and hold the Mute and Volume Down buttons until the screen shows the Amazon logo

There’s always the sledgehammer…

We jest, we jest… partly. While it might feel good to destroy the ever-present Alexa device, it still won’t remove your data so someone could sift through the wreckage and recover it. Then there’s the environmental implications, and losing out on that eBay cash.

READ MORE: What do the different colors on your Amazon Echo light ring mean?

Better to follow our guide to wipe it back to a factory-fresh state, and then sell that Echo device you don’t use anymore.

Have any thoughts on this? Will you take these steps?? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Echo device owners can now make unlimited video and audio calls
• Amazon’s Echo Buds can now track your workouts – here’s how to set it up
• Amazon just added a ton of new Alexa features – here’s how to use them
• You can now ask Alexa to print things out for you

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.