Amazon is pushing Alexa+ upgrades on Prime members and users aren't happy about it

Date:
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 12:14:32 +0000

Description:
If you're an Amazon Prime member in the US, you might find you're getting an automatic upgrade to Alexa+.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Prime members are getting pushed into Alexa+ Many users have complained about the compulsory upgrade It is still possible to revert back to old Alexa

Early last year, Amazon unveiled Alexa+ , a next-gen upgrade designed to take on the likes of ChatGPT and Google Gemini. The rollout of the AI has been pretty slow since then, but now Prime members are being automatically
upgraded and many aren't happy about it.

As spotted by The Verge , numerous Reddit threads are relaying the upgrade message that some Prime members are getting. The upgrade "takes just a few minutes and won't require any action from you", according to the note.

There's no way to opt out of the upgrade it happens automatically. However, users can still revert back to the old AI if they want to, by saying "Alexa, exit Alexa+" within range of one of their smart speakers or smart displays.

Right from the beginning, Amazon said Alexa+ would be a free perk for Prime users (otherwise costing $19.99 a month pricing outside the US has yet to be confirmed). This is making good on that promise, but plenty of users aren't best pleased that they're being forced to upgrade. Broken functions and too many ads War has been declared. from r/alexa

"It's all the non-consent thats bothering me right now," writes one Reddit user , while another says that "I don't want an assistant with attitude". There are plenty of people reporting mixed experiences with Alexa+, and reverting back to the old version of Alexa on their smart devices.

In a separate thread, one user tells Amazon to "stop shoving it down my throat", and another complains that Alexa+ can't read out Kindle books aloud like the standard Kindle can. Missing functionality seems to be part of the problem here.

Other complaints about Alexa+ include slow response times, too many ads, and the style of the new voices. The upgraded AI powered by large language
models (LLMs) is intended to be smarter and more versatile than the standard Alexa.

Whether users are happy about it or not, Amazon clearly sees Alexa+ as the future. The AI bot recently launched on the web , though we're still waiting for the upgrade to come to users, Prime members or not, outside the US.

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/amazon-is-pushing-alexa-upgr ades-on-prime-members-and-users-arent-happy-about-it


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