Amazon Disables Voice Commands for AUX Input on Older Echo Speakers
Amazon has switched off the Alexa voice commands used to select the wired AUX input on several older Echo smart speakers. The physical AUX port still works, and the input can be enabled in the Alexa app.
Technology company Amazon has disabled the voice commands that let users of its Alexa assistant control the AUX input on several older Echo smart speakers. Commands such as "Alexa, play from line in" and "Alexa, set AUX input" no longer work, according to an Amazon email shared by a customer and reported by Ars Technica.
Four models are affected: the second-generation Echo Plus (2018), the third-generation Echo (2019), the original Echo Studio (2019) and the fourth-generation Echo (2020). An Amazon spokesperson confirmed the removal to The Verge, saying the company had notified "the very small number of customers" who use voice requests for AUX playback. Amazon did not give a reason.
What the AUX port does
The 3.5mm AUX jack on older Echo speakers can work as an input or an output, depending on the model. As an input, it lets the speaker play audio from an external source such as a phone or computer. As an output, it sends Alexa's audio to another speaker or amplifier.
The third- and fourth-generation Echo and the second-generation Echo Plus support both directions, while the original Echo Studio supports input only. Third- and fourth-generation Echo Dots have output-only jacks, and the fifth-generation Dot has no 3.5mm connection at all.
How to keep using AUX
The physical connection works as before. To play audio from an external source, open the Alexa app, select the speaker under Devices, find AUX Audio in its settings and choose Line In. On models that support both directions, Line Out sends the Echo's audio to a wired speaker or receiver. Depending on the app version, the setting may be listed under General.
Playback and track skipping must be handled with the connected device's own controls, because the discontinued voice commands managed the Echo's AUX input rather than the connected equipment. The source notes that upgrading to newer Echo models, such as the redesigned 2025 Echo Studio, is likely to mean losing the 3.5mm input.
