Amazon is taking away this Alexa feature from Echo speakers for no real reason

Amazon has removed Alexa voice controls for AUX input on several older Echo speakers with 3.5mm ports.

The physical AUX connection still works, and users can also manage supported AUX modes through the Alexa app or switch to Bluetooth.

The change affects the Echo Studio (1st Gen), Echo Plus (2nd Gen), and Echo (3rd and 4th Gen).

Amazon’s Echo lineup has been quietly moving away from the humble 3.5mm jack for years. The last mainstream Echo speaker to include one was the fourth-generation Echo from 2020, and newer models have leaned increasingly on wireless connections instead. Now, Amazon is taking that retreat a step further by removing part of the functionality from Echo speakers that still have an AUX port.

According to emails sent to affected customers (as reported by Ars Technica), Amazon has disabled Alexa voice commands for controlling the AUX input on several older Echo models. …