Amazon removes voice control for AUX input on older Echo speakers
Amazon has disabled Alexa voice commands for switching to AUX input on several older Echo speakers, making wired audio less convenient for owners who relied on hands-free control. The physical AUX connection still works, and users can select Line In through the Alexa app, so the change does not require replacing a compatible speaker.
The affected models are the second-generation Echo Plus (2018), third-generation Echo (2019), original Echo Studio (2019) and fourth-generation Echo (2020). Depending on the model, the 3.5mm jack supports audio input, output or both; older third- and fourth-generation Echo Dots support output only, while the fifth-generation Dot has no jack. Amazon confirmed removing the commands but did not explain why.
In short
- Alexa voice switching to AUX has stopped on four older Echo models.
- The 3.5mm connections still work through the Alexa app.
- Newer Echo models may not retain AUX input.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Amazon may have removed the voice commands to simplify or standardise Alexa’s support across older devices, or because maintaining them was no longer practical. The wired connection still works and Line In remains available in the app, so owners retain a way to use the feature without replacing their speakers.
The case against
Removing a working hands-free command makes a previously convenient feature harder to use, particularly for people who chose these models for voice-controlled audio. Because Amazon has not explained the decision, affected owners may reasonably question why support was withdrawn when the physical input remains functional.
Explained simply
Echo speakers can play audio from online services and, on some models, through a wired 3.5mm connection. Depending on the model, that connection can bring sound into the speaker, send sound out to another device, or do both.
Alexa voice commands let people control some speaker functions without using their phone or touching the device. Amazon makes the Echo range, and Alexa is its voice assistant; the models with AUX connections have different capabilities, so the change affects owners differently.
The wired connection remains usable, and the Alexa app offers another way to select Line In. This matters to people who use older Echo speakers for audio from a phone or other wired source and value hands-free control.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Engadget as “Amazon made the AUX input on older Alexa devices less useful”.