A big announcement from Amazon, but it falls flat for those who cancelled their Prime memberships due to elimination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

Powered by generative AI, Alexa+ is your new personal AI assistant that gets things done—she’s smarter, more conversational, more capable, and free with Prime. (Source)

It’s a shame, really. I have Alexa devices scattered throughout my house. I will be turning them into speakers.

And, I am not alone…

I have Alexa devices… But cancelled my Prime subscription just before Christmas due to horrendous customer service problems following drivers pretending to deliver things, and a general discontent with Amazon’s decision to introduce ‘watching multiple ads during movies’ as a prime video benefit.

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Directions courtesy of Mistral.ai:

How To Use Alexa Devices like Speakers

If you’ve disabled Alexa and ended your Amazon subscription, you can still use your Echo devices as regular Bluetooth speakers for your digital devices. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Pairing via Bluetooth:

• Put your Echo device in pairing mode:
  • Say “Alexa, pair” if Alexa is still responsive. If not, you can manually put the device in pairing mode by pressing and holding the action button (the button with a dot) until the light ring turns orange.
• Connect your digital device:
  • Go to the Bluetooth settings on your digital device (e.g., smartphone, tablet, computer).
  • Look for your Echo device in the list of available Bluetooth devices. It should appear as something like “Echo-XXX.”
  • Select your Echo device to pair it with your digital device.

1. Using Auxiliary Input (if available):

• Some Echo devices, like the Echo Input, have a 3.5mm audio input jack. You can connect your digital device to the Echo using an auxiliary cable.

1. Using the Alexa App (if still accessible):

• If you still have access to the Alexa app, you can manage your Bluetooth connections through the app. Open the Alexa app, go to “Devices,” select your Echo device, and then choose “Bluetooth Devices” to manage connections.

Once paired, you can play audio from your digital device through the Echo speakers just like any other Bluetooth speaker.