Amazon is implementing a major alteration in the way its Echo devices manage voice recordings. Beginning March 28, 2025, the ability to process voice commands locally—without transmitting them to Amazon’s servers—will be discontinued.

The company has recently informed customers through email regarding this change. “We are contacting you to announce that the Alexa feature ‘Do Not Send Voice Recordings’ that you activated on your compatible Echo device(s) will cease to be available starting March 28, 2025,” reads the email. “As we work to enhance Alexa’s features with generative AI functionalities that depend on the processing capabilities of Amazon’s secure cloud, we have opted to discontinue support for this feature.”

As reported by *Ars Technica*, this modification also impacts users who have activated the “Don’t save recordings” option. These users will forfeit access to Voice ID, a feature that enables Alexa to identify individual users and offer personalized replies, including calendar notifications and music selections. To maintain Voice ID capabilities, users will need to manually change their settings.

In summary, after March 28, all voice interactions with Echo devices will be routed to Amazon’s cloud, with no way to opt-out. If users persist in requesting the deletion of their recordings, they will also lose access to certain features that were initially available at the time of purchase.

Amazon has endeavored to alleviate privacy concerns by reassuring customers that “Alexa voice requests are consistently encrypted during transmission to Amazon’s secure cloud, which is designed with multiple layers of security safeguards to protect customer information.” Nonetheless, *Ars Technica* highlights that once the data arrives at Amazon’s servers, the company and its staff will have access to it.

The announcement has triggered backlash, with numerous disgruntled Alexa users taking to Reddit to voice their displeasure.

This development follows Amazon’s recent introduction of Alexa+, a subscription service that presents AI-driven enhancements. Although the rollout of Alexa+ faced delays due to obstacles, the company now anticipates launching it later this year. Amazon asserts that the service will offer a more integrated and context-sensitive experience while working in conjunction with other Alexa-enabled devices, like Ring video doorbells.