Older compatible Echo speakers retain wired audio support despite the removal of AUX voice controls.
Owners can still play wired audio through compatible Echo speakers, but must use the Alexa app to switch the AUX input on or off.
Amazon has removed Alexa AUX controls from four older Echo models, ending voice requests for wired audio input. However, their physical 3.5mm connections still work, and owners can manage AUX input through the Alexa app.
The change affects the second-generation Echo Plus (2018), third-generation Echo (2019), original Echo Studio (2019) and fourth-generation Echo (2020). Owners can no longer ask Alexa to switch these speakers to their line-in audio source.
Amazon confirmed the removal. A spokesperson said the company had notified “the very small number of customers” using voice requests for AUX playback.
What changes with Alexa AUX controls
The removal changes how owners select wired input, rather than whether their speakers can receive it. A compatible Echo can still play audio from an external device, such as a phone or computer.
Some models also use the same jack to send audio in the opposite direction. The third- and fourth-generation Echo, alongside the second-generation Echo Plus, support both input and output. By contrast, the original Echo Studio supports input only.
Older Echo Dots have different limits. For example, the third- and fourth-generation Dot models have output-only jacks, while the fifth-generation Dot has no 3.5mm connection.
Wired input also keeps compatible Echo speakers useful with older audio equipment. An early-2000s Sony CD changer, for instance, can feed an original Echo Studio through an RCA-to-3.5mm cable. That setup works without a Bluetooth transmitter or a replacement CD player.
How to select wired audio in the Alexa app
To enable input, open the Alexa app and select the compatible speaker under Devices. Then open its settings, find AUX Audio and choose Line In. Depending on the app version, AUX Audio may appear under General.
For models supporting both directions, choose Line Out instead to send audio to a wired speaker or receiver. Owners can also use the app to disable AUX input.
Once the devices connect, use the external audio source’s controls to start playback or skip tracks. The discontinued voice requests controlled the Echo’s AUX input, not playback functions on the connected equipment.
Owners therefore do not need to replace compatible speakers to continue using their wired connections. However, a newer model may not retain that option. Moving from the original Echo Studio to the redesigned 2025 version, for example, means losing the 3.5mm input.
