Amazon has begun automatically upgrading Prime members to Alexa+ and its triggering growing backlash from users who say they were given little control over the change.
First revealed in early 2025 as Amazon’s answer to conversational AI rivals, Alexa+ is designed to deliver more natural responses and broader capabilities using large language models, with Prime members promised free access.
Automatic upgrades are frustrating users
Prime members in the US are now receiving notifications that Alexa+ is being enabled automatically across their Echo devices, with no action required from the user.
While Amazon says the upgrade only takes a few minutes, many users are unhappy that there is no opt-out option before installation, even though they can later revert by saying “Alexa, exit Alexa+.”
Some users report that Alexa+ behaves differently from the standard assistant, with altered voice tones, longer response times, and occasional difficulty handling basic requests that previously worked reliably.
Others claim certain features are missing, including the ability for Alexa devices to read Kindle books aloud, functionality that some users relied on heavily before the upgrade.
The change has also reignited concerns around advertising, with several users complaining that Alexa+ introduces more promotional responses compared to the original assistant experience.
Amazon previously confirmed that Alexa+ would cost $19.99 per month for non-Prime users, making the automatic rollout a fulfilment of its promise to bundle the AI upgrade with Prime membership.
However, the mandatory nature of the transition appears to be undermining that value proposition for some customers, particularly those who prefer the simpler behaviour of the original Alexa.
Alexa+ is clearly Amazon’s long-term direction
Despite the criticism, Amazon has shown little sign of slowing down its Alexa+ rollout, positioning the assistant as the future foundation of its smart home and AI ecosystem.
The upgraded assistant has already launched on the web, and Amazon has reiterated that Alexa+ will continue expanding in capability as more features are migrated over time.
For now, the rollout remains limited primarily to US Prime members, with international availability still unconfirmed and pricing outside the US yet to be detailed.
As Amazon pushes forward, the reaction highlights a broader tension in consumer AI products, where rapid upgrades can clash with user expectations around control, stability, and trust.
Whether Alexa+ ultimately wins users over may depend less on its intelligence and more on how much choice Amazon gives people in deciding when and how that intelligence arrives.
