Amazon has removed Alexa voice commands for switching several older Echo speakers to AUX input, making their wired-audio feature less convenient. Commands such as “play from line in” and “set AUX input” no longer work on the second-generation Echo Plus (2018), third-generation Echo (2019), original Echo Studio (2019) and fourth-generation Echo (2020). Amazon confirmed the change but gave no reason, saying it had informed the small number of customers who used the commands. The physical 3.5mm jack still works, so owners do not need to replace their speakers just to play audio from a connected device.
The jack’s capabilities vary by model: the third- and fourth-generation Echo and second-generation Echo Plus can handle both audio input and output, while the original Echo Studio supports input only. Some older Echo Dots offer output only, and the fifth-generation Dot has no 3.5mm jack. To play an external source through a compatible Echo, users can connect a cable and select AUX Audio, then Line In, in the Alexa app; Line Out sends Echo audio to a wired speaker on models that support it. Playback controls remain on the connected phone, computer or other device. The change matters especially to people keeping older equipment, such as CD players, in use: the connection remains available, but future Echo upgrades may remove it altogether.
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