Amazon is reportedly informing Echo users that the voice requests sent to Alexa will soon stop supporting local processing. As per the report, the Seattle-based e-commerce giant is planning to stop on-device processing of voice recordings for Echo devices starting March 28. The company is reportedly making the change since the new artificial intelligence (AI) version of the virtual assistant, Alexa+, will be entirely cloud-based. Those users who continue to keep their devices set to local processing will reportedly lose the Voice ID functionality of Alexa.

Amazon Reportedly Ending Local Voice Processing for Echo Users

The tech giant added the functionality of on-device voice request processing on Echo devices in 2021, allowing users who do not want to give Amazon access to their conversations with the voice assistant to opt for a privacy-focused approach. However, now, the company is said to be taking a 180-degree turn on that feature.

According to an Ars Technica report, Amazon sent an email to Echo users informing them that they will no longer be able to process Alexa requests locally. These emails were reportedly sent only to those users who had enabled the “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” feature on their devices.

“As we continue to expand Alexa’s capabilities with generative AI features that rely on the processing power of Amazon’s secure cloud, we have decided to no longer support this feature,” the email stated, as per the publication.

The company is said to be planning to stop supporting local processing starting March 28, likely in preparation for deploying the new AI-powered Alexa+. Those who do not disable the setting will reportedly not be able to use one of the most integral features of the virtual assistant dubbed Voice ID. This feature allows Alexa to personalise user experience and share information such as calendar events, reminders, music, and more.

Alexa Voice ID is set to receive a major upgrade with the new AI version as it will be able to understand contextual information and make recommendations more personalised. It will also be able to recognise different voices of users. However, even those Echo users who do not wish to use the AI features, will not get to use the legacy version of Voice ID after March 28, the report claimed.

Ars Technica also shared the rest of the email where Amazon claimed that Alexa voice requests sent to cloud servers will always be encrypted with multiple security layers to keep users’ information safe. Despite the assurance, the move is likely to raise concerns of some Echo users who prefer the privacy aspect of the device.

Notably, in 2023, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit against Amazon over allegations that the company was illegally collecting and indefinitely storing data on children under the age of 13 without parental consent. As per a TechCrunch report, the e-commerce giant settled the lawsuit by paying a fine of $25 million (roughly Rs. 216.9 crores) and deleting the existing data.

Apple has long been rumoured to be developing a new smart home hub as the latest addition to the company’s portfolio of smart home products. The purported product’s launch was recently reported to face delays due to struggles faced by the Cupertino-based technology giant in developing a more advanced version of Siri, whose capabilities it may largely depend upon. However, it may not be the only reason. According to the latest claims by an industry analyst, iOS 19’s recently reported radically new design may also be a contributing factor.

iOS 19 Delays Smart Home Hub Launch

According to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple has pushed the launch of the purported smart home hub beyond the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025. This is attributed to the redesign which iOS 19, Apple’s next iteration of the iPhone operating system (OS), is expected to undergo. At the same conference, the iPhone maker is also likely to showcase iOS 19 and its advancements.

The company is speculated to have plans of aligning the user interfaces across all devices in Apple’s ecosystem, including the purported smart home hub.

This builds upon a previous claim by the same analyst who suggested that the mass production of the aforementioned device may slip from Q1 2025 to Q3 2025. It was previously suspected that Apple’s now-officially delayed development of a more advanced version of Siri, powered by Apple Intelligence, was a major factor. The smart home hub was reported to depend upon the capabilities of the AI assistant.

However, Kuo’s claims suggest that delays related to Siri may not be the only reason behind the postponed launch of the purported product. Until it launches, Apple was reported to have commenced an internal home testing programme which allows select employees to take home the purported smart home hub for testing and submit feedback.

Regarding the importance of the product in Apple’s ecosystem, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman previously claimed that it would be the “first step toward a bigger role in the smart home” along with being Apple’s “most significant release of the year” when it debuts.

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