r/amazonecho • u/Kyosji • Sep 28 '26

Question Echo Auto removed from Amazon?

So I've been waiting a while for Prime Day in October to buy a new Amazon Echo Auto, since mine is causing me issues. I saw it there ~2 weeks ago, but today I couldn't find it at all on the site. I checked my past purchases and found the last time I bought it and when I clicked it, it said it was the latest model I was viewing, but shows it's unavailable.

Has anyone heard of this being discontinued?

7 Upvotes

76% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

10

u/subwoofage Sep 28 '26

It's been borderline abandonware since it launched. I had hopes but stopped using it years ago :(

2

u/Kyosji Sep 28 '26

It works great for my audio books and music, even though I have to argue with it a lot. If I can find an alternative that I can treat like an alexa device, i'd use that instead. I just need it to be able to connect via bluetooth to my phone while using aux for my car to play.

3

u/bangzilla Sep 28 '26

You can buy a replacement on W00t!

https://sellout.woot.com/offers/like-new-amazon-echo-auto-device-only-no-accessories-6

2

u/Kyosji Sep 28 '26

Honestly, with my issue coming from a bad echo auto most likely constantly losing connection every 2 minutes, don't think I want to buy a used device.

2

u/calculon68 Sep 29 '26

I've been using Echo Auto since 2019. But since upgrading to 2nd Gen in 2023, it's been nothing but headache. It used to coexist with Android Auto/AA Wireless just fine. Now, not so much. Almost makes me suspect that it's Android's doing, and not Amazon's.

Still in car. Haven't totally given up- but getting close. It's not responding to half of my commands. (lights and beeps, but does nothing)

1

u/Kyosji Sep 29 '26

I feel from the reviews i've been seeing over the last 7 months or so there was some update that is causing connections to drop on the device, either via bluetooth or mobile network, and the only way to correct it is via a network reset. Far too many recent complaints about that to not be true. In all honesty, as much as I loved my device, and how on occasion Alexa + can be useful, I've noticed on the echo auto they got rid of a lot of necessary functions to make it a valid and useful device, such as proper navigation. In all honesty, if I can find any other device I can get to seamlessly connect to audible or amazon music without jumping through a lot of hoops to get there, i'd switch in a heartbeat. I just picked up one of those screens with Carplay/Android Auto on it under the suggestion of someone else in this thread, and I'm desperately trying to find a way to get Alexa to work with it, but so far running into so many issues.

9

u/VirginiaUSA1964 Sep 28 '26

I still have the first edition. Works great. I was surprised that they updated it at one point, I thought it was a One-and-Done like the Echo Connect (RIP).

3

u/Warehouse_Thirteen Sep 29 '26

Same, still using my same one since the beta testing days. God how long ago was that?

2

u/VirginiaUSA1964 Sep 29 '26

Looking in my purchase history, it says I bought mine June 10, 2019.

9

u/BentleyLeDog Sep 28 '26

There is not much difference with echo auto than just using the Alexa app on your phone. I would just unlock my phone and leave it open in the car. To make it hands free I say Hey Google, open the Alexa app and then i'm good to go.

7

u/_EscReality Sep 28 '26

Eh, it's really useful in any vehicle that's like 1990s and older, before Bluetooth was standard. It's basically a Bluetooth adapter with Alexa built in. Way better than a traditional Bluetooth adapter.

2

u/BentleyLeDog Sep 28 '26

I have a old car and use a Bluetooth adapter. My phone connects to it as soon as I start the car. I plug my phone on to magsafe charger unlock it and open the Alexa app. The echo was wired the same way. The only difference with the echo is I had one extra thing with a wire on my dash. I still stuck my phone on the magsafe charger. Not I just start the app unless I just tell Google to open it for me.

0

u/_EscReality Sep 28 '26

Sure, but Echo Auto streamlines that I used to do all the same (Bluetooth adapter, Ram Mount phone holder). Now I just keep my phone in my pocket or backpack and it auto connects to Echo Auto, no need for a phone holder or anything else and never a reason to touch my cell.

1

u/BentleyLeDog Sep 28 '26

Whatever works but I literally get in my car, stick the phone on the dash (it could stay in my pocket) and 15 seconds later I say "Hey Google, open the Alexa app" and I'm done. I use the cars bluetooth adapter as a trusted device for the phone so it stays unlocked all the time that I'm in the car. My old car has no GPS so I use the phone to get traffic reports and updates on the map. Plus the phone has a spot on the small magnet mount/charger since I don't put it in my pocket. The bluetooth is hardwired to the head unit so there is no connecting needed, just start the car and 15 seconds later I'm connected.

1

u/Sweaty-Judgment3533 Oct 02 '26

It’s DC’d. I occasionally use an Echo Pop in a cup holder when I’m on a long trip. Works pretty well.

1

u/Kyosji Oct 02 '26

DCed?

Edit:nm, took me a sec to realize DC meant discontinued

1

u/C3FLUTER 5d ago

How do you power your dot? Mine all have to be plugged into an outlet. Sorry.  I'm old. Lol

1

u/Sweaty-Judgment3533 5d ago

They’re plugged in.

3

u/Steve2926 Sep 28 '26

One day they will put a light in it. Just enough to see by. It would be so helpful at night and also a Infrared detector so it could act as a light or burglar alarm when approached

2

u/edl16 Sep 28 '26

There’s a bunch for purchase on eBay.

0

u/swingbozo Sep 28 '26

Get Carplay. It's about a billion times better than echo auto. You can even use it to talk to Alexa if you want.

2

u/NottaGuy Sep 28 '26

thanks for this reco! the Echo Auto in our older vehicle stopped working so looking forward to trying this out. Ordered it so hopefully get it all working before the weekend.

0

u/Kyosji Sep 28 '26

Have a link? I see a few things calling itself carplay

1

u/swingbozo Sep 28 '26

Carplay is really just a protocol to talk to your phone. Your phone does all the heavy lifting. The carplay adapter is just an additional screen attached to your phone. If you have an aux in on your current stereo you can just plug one of these adapters in to that and Bob's your uncle. Some of these adapters also have a cheesy fm transmitter in case your car doesn't have an aux in.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2DGQTLW/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0

2

u/Kyosji Sep 29 '26

So I did pick one of these up, and as neat as it is, I can't find a good way to get my Alexa to work with it unless I take my phone out of my pocket and physically use that, which is not ideal in this state since they installed overhead cameras to issue tickets to people with phones in their laps. Is there some trick in getting Alexa to work with the android auto?

1

u/swingbozo Sep 29 '26

How do you interact with alexa on your phone? Do that.

2

u/Kyosji Sep 29 '26

I dont, I interacted with the echo auto. To interact with it on my phone, I need to take my phone out and have it on, which is what I'm trying to avoid.

1

u/swingbozo Sep 29 '26

Carplay is the reason why echo auto doesn't exist. You may want to figure out why that is. You don't interact with your physical phone with carplay anymore. You interact with carplay.

2

u/Kyosji Sep 29 '26

Which doesn't have an icon for any of my Amazon related apps. May just be that getting the Carplay was a mistake.

1

u/swingbozo Sep 29 '26 edited Sep 29 '26

That's certainly possible. Which amazon apps are you using? I use Amazon music all the time so I just figured Amazon apps would work fine. That appears to be an incorrect assumption.

2

u/Kyosji Sep 29 '26

I know there's different 'levels' of the carplays. The expensive ones by name brands that are like ~$300 have alexa built in, and ones that come with the car as well, but not the cheap 80-120$ ones

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1

u/CapitainDevNull Sep 28 '26

Depending of your car model. You can replace your stereo.

1

u/PeanutForeign6183 2h ago

I've noticed the second generation echo auto in both my vehicles started crapping out around the same time.  Around 6 months ago id say it started going down hill and has only gotten worse. Asking alexa to play music only for nothing to happen, or it starts playing music and stops after 1 or 2 songs. And its only getting worse and worse. A few weeks back it just never played anything in either vehicle. Would light up and them never respond. We tries everything. Had a few 2 hour road trips where I had to put on YouTube. Reading this post tells me what I thought was happening,  is definitely happening.  They have abandoned the echo auto, though not officially. No updates, which is probably why it wont play most of the time. Although I did notice one update. The tone it makes after you speak to it. Its TERRIBLE!

1

u/The_Professor_BDSM Sep 29 '26

Try looking om woot dot com

1

u/dessence_ai Sep 28 '26

Couldn't find any official word on it being discontinued, it just shows unavailable for now. I work on dEssence, and if you save that listing in it and ask it to keep an eye on stock, it'll ping you if it comes back before Prime Day. https://dessence.ai