Amazon may end this Alexa feature on Android phones: What is it – Times of India

E-commerce giant Amazon has forayed into the smartphone segment only once with the Amazon Fire Phone which was released in 2014. This smartphone was such a failure that the company decided to discontinue the product in a year. Following this, Amazon never had a smartphone platform to natively integrate its voice assistant, Alexa just like Apple’s Siri or Google Assistant. However, for the last few years, the company has worked with other Android device makers to incorporate the Alexa voice assistant. These phones are known as “Alexa Built-In” phones and enable users to interact with the voice assistant. This feature will reportedly see a new change starting in March 2023.
What are “Alexa Built-In” phones
Android phones that include the Alexa Built-In feature allow using voice commands to activate Alexa from anywhere in the phone. Users who own these devices can interact with the Alexa voice assistant using their voice commands from the phone’s lock screen and even when the Alexa app on the handset is not open. Smartphones like the OnePlus 10 Pro 5G, OnePlus 10T 5G, Motorola Edge (2022), Moto G7 and more devices come with this feature. However, Amazon might be planning to make some changes to the feature on Android phones.

How will the voice assistant feature change
According to a report by GeekWire, Amazon has sent messages to inform users that the systemwide hands-free Alexa feature will be disbanded for Alexa Built-In phones from March 31, 2023.
As per the report, a company spokesperson has confirmed that Amazon has now decided to suspend support for this feature. He said that the company regularly reviews its features to ensure that it is investing in services that will “delight customers”.
Amazon also plans to end its broader support for Alexa Built-In phones with this move. However, further sales of these devices will be decided by the phone makers.

The tech major hasn’t shared any specific reason for deciding upon this move but has noted that Android operating system updates may impact the hands-free experience before the actual cutoff date (March 31, 2023). This feature is partially dependent upon systemwide microphone access while Google regularly updates Android to tweak the access.
Amazon Alexa on smartphones: Availability
This change doesn’t mean that smartphone users won’t be able to access Alexa on their devices. Users will be able to interact with Alexa on Android and iOS smartphones only when the Alexa app is open. This feature will also let users the option for hands-free access inside the Alexa app.
In other news, Amazon has reportedly started massive job cuts in the company and it plans to layoff 10,000 staff. Alexa and devices division was one of the groups that were affected by the recent layoffs.