Amazon Drops Alexa Aux Control Feature from Older Echo Devices

Amazon has quietly removed a feature from older Echo devices that allowed users to control audio playback through the 3.5mm aux input using Alexa voice commands. A Reddit user posted about receiving a notification from Amazon regarding this change, which the company later confirmed. Amazon spokesperson Claudia Chavira Velez stated that the functionality will no longer be supported for a small number of customers using voice requests to play or pause audio from the aux input on select Echo devices.

The notice did not provide any explanation for the removal of the feature. However, it clarified that the physical aux connection still works on devices like the Echo Plus (2nd gen), Echo (3rd gen), Echo (4th gen), and Echo Studio (1st gen). Users can still control the aux input through the Alexa app or pair Bluetooth speakers instead.

Ars Technica noted that Amazon has not included an aux port in newer Echo speakers for years. This change follows another removal last year, where users could no longer opt out of sending voice recordings to the cloud.