Stephen Schenck / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Alexa users who are Amazon Prime members are reportedly being automatically upgraded to Alexa Plus.
- Users who have been upgraded can revert to the old Alexa by saying, “Alexa, exit Alexa Plus.”
- One user claims that they were “flooded with ads” after downgrading back to Alexa.
Amazon recently announced the launch of a dedicated website for Alexa Plus, allowing you to access the upgraded AI assistant directly from your browser. It appears that’s not the only Alexa news we’re getting this month. The e-commerce giant has also reportedly begun automatically upgrading Prime members to Alexa Plus, and users aren’t happy.
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Spotted by The Verge, Amazon Prime members have been reporting on Reddit that they recently received a message from Amazon. In that message, the company informs Prime members that, as a perk, their Alexa assistant will be automatically upgraded to Alexa Plus for free. After the conversion is complete, they’ll receive a confirmation email. The message adds that after the upgrade is finished, you’ll be able to revert to the original Alexa by saying, “Alexa, exit Alexa Plus.”
It appears that this is not an opt-in situation, and you also don’t have the option to opt out of the upgrade. It’s understandable that users would not be exactly thrilled about a forced upgrade like this. If you prefer the old Alexa, you’ll have to go through the minor inconvenience of going through the upgrade and downgrade process.
However, the switch may be more troublesome than it appears. Among the complaints, like disliking Alexa’s new voice and longer wait times for responses, one user says that they were “flooded by ads” after reverting to the original assistant, forcing them to switch back to Alexa Plus. Another user claims that changing your language to Canadian English will stop the ads.
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