“Alexa+ is significantly more capable than the original Alexa, so we’re working to make it available to more customers,” an Amazon spokesperson said. “We have informed customers about the upcoming update, including how to revert to the original version.”
Amazon says it’s only upgrading Prime members with supported devices to Alexa+ early access in this new effort. Alexa+ is currently free, and Prime members will continue to get it for free when it first launches in the full version, but it will cost $20 per month for non-Prime members once it officially launches. The list of supported devices is also generous, including the first generation Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, Echo Spot, and even the Echo Plus. There’s a long list of Fire TV and Fire tablet devices that are also compatible, so depending on how many Amazon-powered devices you have and if you’re a Prime member, you may see Alexa+ in a number of places.
How to Switch Back to Original Alexa
Photograph: Nena Farrell
If you don’t want to upgrade or don’t like the experience, it’s easy to switch back. Simply say to your Alexa device, “Alexa, exit Alexa Plus,” and it will revert to the original Alexa voice and experience. It works on supported Echo devices. You’ll stop seeing chatbot-like conversation styles, and the Assistant’s responses will be less conversational.
Plus, you won’t actually lose your core abilities. Personally, I didn’t feel I needed to change the way I asked questions between the two versions of the voice assistant. The onscreen and voice experience has become exactly the same (if not slightly updated, though I’m using the latest Echo Show 11 to test it) to what I remember Alexa being like before switching to Alexa+. Amazon will also warn you that some features in the Alexa app may need to be changed if you revert to the old experience, but it doesn’t specify what these are, nor does it make those settings easy to find.
If you’re not a Prime member and you don’t get the automatic push to Alexa+, you should still be able to easily toggle it off in the app or even by asking you to switch to Alexa+ on your device. There’s no sign-up page like there used to be, because there’s no waiting list. To get details about your Alexa+ access and manage controls, look under Subscriptions and subscriptions in your Amazon account.
Alexa vs Alexa+
Even if you request to switch back to the old Alexa, is it In fact Old Alexa? Although it’s the same voice, Feminine 2 (or “Relaxed”), our team – along with other users on Reddit – have noticed that some of the changes in the voice have changed, making it sound different than before. You can also use the Feminine 2 while in Alexa+, so the voice has also been updated to maintain the more conversational style carried by Alexa+.
Some people also hate the new default voice, Feminine 1, which the Alexa app describes as “upbeat”, but others call it a “teenage girl” voice. (Or as my editor, parent of a teen, puts it, the “sassy teen” voice). The new Alexa sounds more youthful, and has a cadence that sounds almost sarcastic. In total, Alexa+ offers four feminine and four masculine voices, each of which is described with an adjective like “inviting” or “warm” in the app.
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