Amazon has switched off Alexa’s voice control over the Amazon Echo AUX input on several older Echo speakers, leaving the physical jack intact but far less convenient to use. Owners who relied on commands like “Alexa, play from line in” or “Alexa, set AUX input” will find those phrases no longer do anything, according to an Amazon email shared by a customer and reported by Ars Technica.
Key takeaways
- ✓Amazon has disabled Alexa voice commands like 'play from line in' on several older Echo speakers.
- ✓Affected models include the second-gen Echo Plus, third and fourth-gen Echo, and the original Echo Studio.
- ✓The physical 3.5mm AUX jack still works; owners must switch it on via the Alexa app instead of voice.
- ✓Amazon has not explained why it removed the voice shortcut, only confirming the change to The Verge.
- ✓Newer Echo hardware, including the 2025 Echo Studio and fifth-gen Dot, has already dropped the AUX jack entirely.
The change hasn’t been publicised through any official announcement. Instead, it surfaced through a support email sent to a small group of affected users, and was later confirmed to The Verge by an Amazon spokesperson. The company said it had notified “the very small number of customers” who actually used voice requests to manage AUX playback, but it did not explain why the feature was pulled.
Table of Contents
Which Echo Speakers Lost Alexa’s AUX Voice Commands
The devices affected are the second-generation Echo Plus from 2018, the third-generation Echo from 2019, the original Echo Studio also from 2019, and the fourth-generation Echo released in 2020. All four models include a 3.5mm AUX connector that could previously be switched on or off using a simple voice command.
That shortcut is gone now, but the hardware itself hasn’t changed. Anyone with one of these speakers can still plug in an external source or route audio out to another system. What’s disappeared is the ability to trigger that function hands-free, which matters more than it might sound for anyone juggling several audio sources during the day.
How the Amazon Echo AUX Input Actually Works
The 3.5mm jack on these older Echo speakers can work in two directions, depending on the model. As an input, it lets the speaker play audio from an external device such as a phone, a turntable, or an old CD changer. As an output, it sends Alexa’s own audio to a separate speaker or amplifier. The physical connection is identical; only the direction of travel changes.
| Echo model | AUX input | AUX output |
|---|---|---|
| Echo Plus (2nd gen, 2018) | Yes | Yes |
| Echo (3rd gen, 2019) | Yes | Yes |
| Echo (4th gen, 2020) | Yes | Yes |
| Echo Studio (1st gen, 2019) | Yes | No |
| Echo Dot (3rd/4th gen) | No | Yes |
| Echo Dot (5th gen) | No 3.5mm jack | No 3.5mm jack |
That flexibility is why some owners have held onto these older speakers rather than upgrading. An early-2000s Sony CD changer, for example, can still feed audio into an original Echo Studio through a basic RCA-to-3.5mm cable, with no Bluetooth transmitter or new hardware required. The connection itself hasn’t been touched by this change, even if Alexa has become less helpful about switching it on.
Using AUX Without Voice Commands
For anyone with a compatible Echo wired up to other gear, the workaround sits inside the Alexa app rather than the speaker itself. Open the app, select the relevant speaker under Devices, and look for the AUX Audio setting, which may appear under General depending on the app version. Choosing Line In allows external audio to play through the Echo, while Line Out, where supported, sends the Echo’s own sound to a connected speaker or receiver.
Once that’s set, playback itself has to be controlled from the source device rather than through Alexa. The voice commands that disappeared only ever managed the Echo’s AUX input, not the playback functions of whatever was plugged into it, so skipping tracks or adjusting volume on a CD player still works exactly as it always did.
Nobody needs to retire an otherwise working Echo speaker just because of this change. The physical AUX connection remains fully functional on every affected model, and the manual toggle in the app takes only a few seconds once it’s found.
Why Amazon’s Decision Matters for Smart Speaker Owners
Taken on its own, losing a voice shortcut for a wired audio connection seems like a minor inconvenience. But it fits a broader pattern of Amazon trimming features from its ageing Echo lineup while pushing customers towards newer hardware. The fifth-generation Echo Dot dropped the 3.5mm jack altogether, and the redesigned 2025 Echo Studio also went without one, meaning anyone upgrading from the original Echo Studio loses AUX connectivity entirely rather than just the voice control for it.
This also lands alongside Amazon’s recent price increases on Fire TV and Kindle devices, and a separate round of Echo-related price changes, both of which suggest Amazon is reshaping the value proposition of its hardware ecosystem rather than simply adding new capabilities. For owners of older Echo speakers, the message is clear enough: legacy features can disappear quietly, even when the underlying hardware keeps working fine.
Anyone still relying on a wired turntable, CD player, or amplifier through an older Echo should expect to adjust their routine slightly rather than lose the function outright. Checking Amazon’s current Echo speaker lineup is also worth doing before any future upgrade, since AUX support now varies considerably between generations.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still play music through the Echo’s AUX input?
Yes. The physical connection still works on all affected models. The only change is that Alexa voice commands no longer switch it on, so the toggle needs to be set manually in the Alexa app instead.
Which Echo speakers lost the AUX voice commands?
The second-generation Echo Plus, third-generation Echo, fourth-generation Echo, and the original Echo Studio are all affected. Amazon confirmed the change but did not specify a wider rollout beyond these models.
Why did Amazon remove the AUX voice commands?
Amazon hasn’t given a public reason. It confirmed to The Verge that it notified a small number of customers who used the feature, but offered no explanation for why the commands were disabled.
Do newer Echo speakers still have an AUX port?
Not always. The fifth-generation Echo Dot removed the 3.5mm jack entirely, and the redesigned 2025 Echo Studio also lacks one, so AUX connectivity is no longer guaranteed on Amazon’s current lineup.
