AVS UX Attention System

Alexa is a single Amazon-branded personality that is coherent and familiar to customers across all products. While the physical products might be different, the attention system ensures Alexa behaves predictably and with familiarity. This consistency creates customer trust and strengthens the customer’s understanding of Alexa.

Alexa’s attention system is comprised of non-verbal audio and visual components that work together to communicate all of Alexa’s different states to the customer. Color, sound, and animation are critical for effectively communicating state since there is no other visual or verbal explanation of the attention system on your product. Audio and visual cues must be synchronized so that Alexa’s state change indicators occur simultaneously as the customer wakes, speaks to, and listens to Alexa.

• Attention system components
  • Alexa sound library
  • Alexa attention state colors
  • Chrome and LED placement
• Attention system states
  • Idle
  • Core
  • Microphone off
  • Alerts
  • Notifications
  • Do Not Disturb
  • Pairing and discovery
  • Errors
  • Device states
• Attention system implementations
  • Multicolor LEDs
  • Voice Chrome

Attention system components

Different product types, shapes, and features will warrant different visual implementations of the attention system. Although we have written guidance for many different implementations, they are not all equal in their ability to effectively communicate.

To properly convey all of the different states to our customers, multiple multicolor LEDs are strongly recommended for non-screen products. Customers otherwise will be unable to recognize some Alexa behaviors and features. At a minimum, your device must clearly indicate when it is streaming audio to the cloud.

Alexa sound library

Alexa audio cues are short sounds that play to indicate an Alexa state change. They can be used alone or in concert with visual cues provided by voice chrome or LEDs. The fewer visual cues your device has, the more important the audio cues are. Even for a device with strong visual cues, there may be a chance the customer will not be looking at it while activating or speaking to Alexa, making the audio cues equally important as the visual cues. In all cases, audio cues should clarify rather than confuse.

Amazon provides an Alexa Sound Library, containing three different sound sets for developers. Each set is targeted to a different speaker quality range. Only sounds that must be stored on device are provided. All other sounds are part of the Alexa response.

The decision about which set to use depends upon your product's speaker capabilities and which files sound best on the product. The three sets are Full, Medium, and Small, and each sound file is prefixed with a corresponding code: "ful", "med" or "sml".

Sound Set	Prefix	Frequency Response	Product Examples	Start Listening Example
Full	ful	200 – 20,000 Hz	High-sound-quality speakers
Medium	med	400 – 12,000 Hz	Low-sound-quality speakers, Cellphones, Tablets
Small	sml	800 – 5,000 Hz	Minimal-sound-quality speakers, Wearables, Small Appliances

The Sound Library can be downloaded from the Resources tab of the AVS Developer Portal.

Alexa attention state colors

Colors help indicate to customers what’s going on with the product. Each color represents a family of interactions. We use a system of colors and animations to communicate the state of the product, and how the customer may interact with it.

Color	Group	Screen Hex	LED Hex	CIE XY Coordinates
Cyan	Core, Alerts	#05FEFE	#00FFFF	x0.1536, y0.3313
Blue	Core, Alerts, Pairing & Discovery, Device Setup	#214CFB	#0000FF	x0.1275, y0.0825
Red	Microphone Off, Errors	#FC361D	#FF0000	x0.6978, y0.3015
Green	Communications - Calling & Drop In	#00FE0C	#00FF00	x0.196, y0.7367
Yellow	Communications - Messages, Notifications	#FCFA1D	#FFFF00	x0.4476, y0.5185
Purple	Do Not Disturb	#A823DD	#9900FF	x0.1926, y0.1075
White	Device Changes	#FFFFFF	#FFFFFF	x0.2602, y0.3185
Orange	Configuration Changes	#FF9900	#FF9900	x0.6107, y0.3772

Chrome and LED placement

In order for a visual attention system to be effective, the customer has to be able to see it. Think about how the customer will use your product and what surfaces would be easiest to see for visual communication, for example whether the visual cues can be seen in every direction.

Devices like a soundbar should have LEDs placed on the customer-facing side of the product, the front, rather than on the top where the customer won't be able see it. Similarly for screen-based devices, keep in mind where your customer will be in relation to your product to ensure the chrome is placed where they can easily see it.

Attention system states

Attention states present the personality and current activity of Alexa at a high level across all domains. Presenting the states in a form that is easy for customers to see and understand is important to maintain customer trust and provide a great customer experience.

If you choose to implement Calling, Messaging, and Announcements (ACM), you can find information about those attention states on the ACM Attention System page.

Group	States	Description	Color
Idle	Idle	The device state when there is not an Alexa interaction in process.	No visual indicators
Interaction	Listening Thinking Speaking	Required: Core states that indicate a customer's conversation with Alexa.	Cyan & Blue
Microphone Off	Microphone Off	Required: Core state indicating that the customer has pressed the Microphone-off button.	Red
Alerts	Timers Alarms Reminders	Required: Core state indicating that an Alert has expired.	Cyan & Blue
Notifications	Notification Arrives Notification Queued	Required: Core state indicating when notification arrives and when notifications are waiting to be retrieved by the customer.	Yellow
Do Not Disturb	Do Not Disturb Enabled Do Not Disturb Disabled	Required: Core state indicating that Alexa will not disturb the customer with incoming calls, messages, and notifications.	Purple
Pairing & Discovery	Bluetooth	Communicates that the product is interacting with or connecting directly to other devices.	Blue
Errors	System and Device Errors Alexa Service Unavailable No Wi-Fi	Communicates that an error has occurred on the device, or that Alexa is unavailable when the customer attempts to start an Alexa interaction.	Red
Device Setup	OOBE Boot-Up	Communicates that the product is in initial setup mode (OOBE) or is booting up.	Cyan & Blue
Device Change	Volume Changes Power Off	Communicates device's responses to a customer interaction. In these cases, Alexa isn't interacting with the customer, the device is.	White
Configuration Change	Factory Reset Wake word Change Wi-fi Configuration	Communicates customer-initiated changes to the system while the change is being processed by the product, not Alexa.	Orange

Idle

Alexa is idle when she isn’t in another state. Idle is important as it sets the initial state of Alexa that must contrast with all other states. The easiest way to create that contrast visually is for idle to not use visuals (i.e. LEDs off) and all other states light up the LEDs or display on screen. This way the user will easily know when Alexa is actively trying to communicate versus passively waiting for a request.

Core

The Core Alexa states critical for customers to recognize consist of the three interaction states, Listening, Thinking, and Speaking, along with Microphone On/Off, Alerts, Notifications, and Do Not Disturb. For products with visual cues, it is required that these states and the Idle state are distinguishable from each other.

If you choose to present the attention states as text in addition to the visual display, you must not personalize the text or present it in the first person. For example, you may include the text "Listening", but you must not include the text "I'm listening".

Listening

The Listening state starts when Alexa has been initiated via wake word, tap-to-talk, or push-to-talk, and the microphone begins streaming the customer’s request to the Alexa Voice Service.

There are three stages to the Listening state:

• Start Listening When the product’s microphones have been activated, transitions into the Listening state and waits for a request from the customer.
• Active Listening When the customer begins speaking, Alexa transitions into an Active Listening state.
• End Listening When the customer's end of speech is identified, Alexa transitions out of Listening state.

The amount of visual feedback your product provides will determine the requirements for audio cues. Products without strong visual cues are required to use audio cues to indicate when Alexa has started and stopped listening. Products with a strong visual system have the option of setting these audio cues to off by default.

Notes:

• Voice-initiated products use a different start-listening sound than touch-initiated products.
• Voice-initiated products use the same start-listening sound whether the customer uses touch or voice to initiate an Alexa interaction on the product.
• In multi-turn interactions on voice-initiated devices, the start-listening audio cue should only be played on the first turn of the interaction. In subsequent turns, the start-listening sound should not be played.
• In multi-turn interactions on touch-initiated products, the start-listening audio cue should be played every time Alexa starts listening and the end-listening audio cue must be played at the end of every turn.

Thinking

When a customer has completed a request, Alexa enters the Thinking state. This state lets the customer know the microphone is no longer active and Alexa will respond shortly. During the Thinking state, no additional voice input from the customer is accepted.

Note: No sounds should play when Alexa starts or stops Thinking.

Speaking

The Speaking state is displayed when Alexa is responding to a request with a TTS (text to speech). This state is not displayed when Alexa is responding with long running mixable media such as music, books and Flash Briefings.

Note: No sounds should play when Alexa starts or stops Speaking.

Microphone off

In a voice-initiated implementation, the device must have a hardware-based microphone control. The customer can block Alexa from waking by changing the device to the Microphone Off mode. In this state, the product is not capable of detecting the Alexa wake word and will not send any customer utterances to Alexa.

Unless the product requires the microphones for purposes other than interacting with Alexa, the device must remove power from the microphones when turned off. Likewise, any camera on the device must be powered down, and should include a physical cover for the camera lens. Alerts and Notifications are still played when the microphone is off.

Notes:

• Voice-initiated products are required to use audio cues when the customer turns microphones on and off. The microphone on/off sounds (found below) must always be enabled, with no option for the user to disable them.
• Microphone on/off sounds must be played at the system volume level.
• The microphone on/off sounds shall play in all instances, even during Alexa TTS responses.
• Voice-initiated products must visually display that microphones are off so that the user can easily understand why Alexa isn't responding to the wake word.
• Touch-initiated products do not have a Microphone Off state because their microphones are always off until the customer physically initiates an interaction.

Alerts

Customers can ask Alexa to alert them after a specified duration or at a specific time. Alexa supports Alarms, Timers, Named Timers, and Reminders.

Important: Alerts must activate when they are scheduled, even if your product has lost internet connectivity.

When an Alarm or Timer activates, the device must play the appropriate sound and visual cues on a loop. The loop must continue until the customer stops the alert, or until an hour after the scheduled alert time, whichever comes first. When a Named Timer or Reminder activates, the device must play the audio cue included in the Alexa response, and Alexa should then speak the Named Timer or Reminder. Information on the number of times the Named Timer or Reminder should be looped, and the duration of the pause between loops, is included in the Alexa response.

If Alexa is responding (e.g. giving the 10-day weather forecast) while an alert sound should be played, the short versions of the audio and visual cues should be played once every 10 seconds. Once the Alexa response is complete, the full length version of the alert should be played as described above.

If you implement Alerts interface version 1.3, customers can manage alert volumes and set custom alert sounds. In order to allow the customer to choose a custom sound, the device must accept the URL sent during alert confirmation. If a device stores only the default alert sound, the customer will not be able to change it.

Customers can also ask Alexa to delete alerts, for example "Alexa, delete the 1-hour timer." There are no UX indicators required other than Alexa's Core attention states during the conversation. If you've implemented the Alerts interface 1.3 or later, customers are able to delete all the alerts of a specified type, such as "Alexa, delete all alarms."

Notes:

• The customer must be able to stop an alert by some method other than voice so that they can stop the alert even if your product has lost internet connectivity.
• Your product's Action button, ideally an on-device control, must be able to stop a playing alert. Pressing the button or control should stop the alert playing but not wake Alexa.
• Alert sounds are sent with the alert confirmation, and must be stored on the product so that alerts can be played at the correct time even if your product loses internet connectivity. If your device supports Alerts interface version 1.3 or later, this is true of custom alert sounds as well.
• If your device allows the customer to change audio volume, there is no specific UX indicator required.

Alarms and Timers

Customers can ask Alexa to alert them at a specific time by setting an Alarm, or after a specified duration by setting a Timer. Alarms​ and Timers use distinct sounds, but otherwise, behave the same way.

Notes:

• All products are required to use audio cues to indicate when a Timer or Alarm goes off.
• Visual cues for Alarms​ and Timers are highly recommended.
• The Alarm audio cue should be used only for Alexa Alarms, and the Timer audio cue should be used only for Alexa Timers.
• As of Alerts interface version 1.3, the customer can change alert volume separately from system volume (through app, buttons, or on-screen GUI). Note that changes to alert volume made while an alert is actively sounding are temporary, applying only to the active alert, and return to the previously set volume once the active alert is complete. Likewise, if there is content playing, such as music, and the system volume is higher than the alert volume, the alert plays at the system volume level. This is also a temporary volume change and the level returns to the custom volume setting when there is no content playing.

Named Timers and Reminders

Customers can ask Alexa to alert them with a TTS message after a specified duration or at a specific time by setting a Named Timer or a Reminder.

An example Reminder output is “[audio cue] Here’s your reminder: Take out the garbage. [pause] [audio cue] Here’s your reminder: Take out the garbage.”

For more information, see ​Enable Named Timers and Reminders and the Alerts Overview​.

Notes:

• The URLs for the audio cue file and the TTS file are included in the Alexa response.
• The Named Timer and Reminder sound files must be stored locally on the device so that the alert can be played at the correct time even if your product loses internet connectivity.
• Named Timer and Reminder audio must be played at the system volume level.

Notifications

Notification indicators inform customers that new content is available from Alexa Skills. The customer has to request that Alexa notify them about an interesting or important event.

Notes:

• When a Notification arrives, the new-notification sound must be played immediately.
• Even if Alexa is responding (e.g. reading a Flash Briefing, or giving the 10-day weather forecast) or media is playing when a notification arrives, the audio cue should be played immediately.
• The audio file should only be played once for each new Notification and should not be played on a loop.
• The URL for the audio file is included in the Alexa response.
• In case the downloadable file is unavailable, the new-notification sound should be stored locally so that it can be played as a fall-back.
• The visual indicator that Notifications are waiting to be heard should be displayed during the device's Idle state until the customer has listened to all notifications.

Do Not Disturb

Do Not Disturb (DND) allows your customer to choose if they want to block incoming Notifications and Communications on a specific product. This mode is enabled per device. When Do Not Disturb is enabled, the device will not receive Notifications, Messages, Announcements, and calls, but will still allow both alerts (such as Alarms and Timers) and customer-initiated Alexa responses to be played.

Enabling and Disabling DND

You can provide the customer multiple ways to enable and disable Do Not Disturb. The customer can toggle DND using their voice, enabling the Do Not Disturb setting in the Alexa app, or by scheduling DND in the Alexa app. You can also choose to create a DND control directly on the device. Whenever the state of DND changes, the device will receive a directive from the Alexa service.

Visual and sound cues

The visual cues for Do Not Disturb serve to indicate when DND is enabled, and to remind customers that DND is on after an interaction with Alexa finishes. Note that, when DND is enabled, different cues and timing are used depending on the method.

The Enable Do Not Disturb cue indicates when DND is toggled on by using the Do Not Disturb setting in the Alexa app, or by a scheduled DND time. It should be played immediately if the device is in the Idle or Microphone Off states. However, the cue should not be played if Alexa is in any of the Core or Alert states.

The Do Not Disturb Enabled cue should play whenever the device returns to an Idle state while DND is on. This includes when DND is enabled by voice in order to avoid customer confusion while Alexa responds to the interaction. The cue should play after Alexa has completed a response, an Alert is stopped by pressing the Action button, or the Microphone Off state has been disabled.

Once the visual cue is done playing, the device should return to an Idle attention state. Do not use the attention system as a persistent indicator that Do Not Disturb is on.

You may choose to include a separate indicator of the Do Not Disturb state, such as an on-screen icon or in your companion app settings. This indicator should be persistent while Do Not Disturb is enabled and must be immediately updated when the state is toggled on or off through any method.

NOTE: If your device can enable Do Not Disturb separately for Alexa only or for the entire device, the visual indicators your device uses must make it clear which state the device is in.

There are no audio files that should be stored on the product for Do Not Disturb. All sound cues are automatically streamed from the Alexa service, along with the voice response, when the customer toggles Do Not Disturb using voice. Whether your device will play an audio response depends on how the customer enables or disables Do Not Disturb:

• When DND is toggled using an in-app GUI, on-device button, or from a scheduled DND time that was set in the Alexa app, your device should not play any Alexa voice response or sound cue.
• When the customer enables or disables DND using voice, your device will play both the associated Alexa voice response and sound cue.

DND and Notifications

If the yellow queued Notification indicator is lit when Do Not Disturb is enabled by the customer or by schedule, the Notification indicator should be cleared. Likewise, no new Notifications or messages should be delivered or indicated while Do Not Disturb is enabled.

Once Do Not Disturb is turned off, the Alexa service will deliver any pending Notifications. Note that the customer can still ask Alexa to retrieve Notifications while Do Not Disturb is enabled.

Pairing and discovery

Bluetooth

Customers can pair devices such as mobile phones and Bluetooth-enabled speakers to stream music and control media playback.

Notes:

• The Alexa Bluetooth-connected and Bluetooth-disconnected sounds should be played when the product receives a connect or disconnect success event.
• The sounds should be played whether the customer uses a voice command or a companion app to manage the connection.

Errors

When errors that prevent Alexa from functioning, for example, Wi-Fi is not available, occur, they are presented visually to the customer through Alexa’s attention system. System errors are only displayed after a user request has failed. For example, if a product loses connection to Wi-Fi, the error would only be displayed if the user makes a request, not the moment the device lost its connection.

Notes:

• Product sounds, and not Alexa sounds, should be used during setup or if there is an issue with connectivity.
• Error sounds should not be added to an Alexa response. This is true even if the customer’s speech was not understood by the service.

Device states

In addition to the Alexa attention states, your product may need to display other states. We do not provide recommendations for those other states, but they must be distinct from the Alexa attention states, and cannot use Alexa audio cues.

Device setup

On Amazon Alexa products, blue and cyan are used to show that the device is booting up, or during the initial Out of Box Experience (OOBE).

Device changes

On Amazon Alexa products, white is used to show that the device state is changed in some way, such as volume changed or muted, or powered off.

Configuration changes

On Amazon Alexa products, orange is used to show that the configuration changes are being made on the device, such as Wi-Fi configuration, wake word, or factory reset.

Attention system implementations

Different products will work better with different implementations of the Alexa Attention System. Here we describe the most common ones.

• For screen-less devices, use multicolor LEDs to communicate the Alexa states to your customer.
• For devices with screens, use voice chrome to communicate the Alexa states to your customer. In addition to voice chrome, you may also use LEDs for added display capability.

Multicolor LEDs and voice chrome must display the attention state colors listed in the Attention System States section.

The sections below provide guidance for these implementations:

• Multicolor LEDs (radial array, linear array, and single LED)
• Voice Chrome (linear and circular chrome for screen-based devices)

Multicolor LEDs

We have provided animation files which contain color and timing sequences you can use to create the visuals described in the table below. Find the animation files on the Amazon Developer Portal (requires login) under the Resources tab.

Choose a tab in the following table to see the recommendations for radial, linear, or single LED implementations.

If you choose to implement Calling, Messaging, and Announcements (ACM), you can find information about those attention states on the ACM Attention System page.

Voice Chrome

Voice Chrome should be used on screen-based products to indicate the Alexa attention states. For attention states that are not included in the examples below, use the LED examples for reference. If your product supports Display Cards as well, see the Display Card UX pages for information about how to combine display cards with a voice chrome implementation.

Choose a tab in the following table to see the recommendations for linear or circular chrome.