Amazon made the AUX input on older Alexa devices less useful
Amazon has made a quiet change to older Echo speakers that will leave owners rethinking how they use their devices and manage their home audio setups.
Amazon has made the AUX input on older Alexa devices less convenient. The voice commands that once allowed users to easily play audio from a wired source no longer function on several older Echo speakers. This change may seem minor, but it can be frustrating for those who relied on these commands. The affected devices include the second-generation Echo Plus (2018), third-generation Echo (2019), original Echo Studio (2019) and fourth-generation Echo (2020).
Amazon confirmed the removal of the feature and stated that they notified the few customers who used voice requests for AUX playback. However, the company did not provide a reason for removing this functionality. Despite this change, the physical AUX jack on supported Echo speakers remains functional. Users can still connect a cable and play audio through the device or use the Alexa app to enable or disable AUX input.
The 3.5mm jack can serve as both an input and an output, depending on the model. While the physical connection continues to work, the ability to use voice commands for AUX playback is no longer available. For those with compatible Echo devices, they can still connect to external audio sources using a 3.5mm cable through the Alexa app.
However, upgrading Echo devices with a 3.5mm input may result in losing this feature, as seen with the redesign of the Echo Studio in 2025.
Written by urgent.news from Engadget's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
