Image Unavailable
Color:
-
-
-
- To view this video download Flash Player
Echo Auto (1st gen) - Hands-free Alexa in your car with your phone
Return this item for free
Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
Learn more about free returns.- Go to your orders and start the return
- Select the return method
- Ship it!
Return this item for free
Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
Learn more about free returns.- Go to your orders and start the return
- Select the return method
- Ship it!
Purchase options and add-ons
- Add Alexa to your car - Connects to the Alexa app on your phone and plays through your car’s speakers via auxiliary input or your smartphone’s Bluetooth connection. Includes Vent Mount.
- Designed for the road - With 8 microphones and far-field technology, Echo Auto can hear you over music, A/C, and road noise.
- Go beyond radio - Voice control Echo Auto through the Alexa app to stream from Audible, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM, and radio stations with TuneIn and iHeartRadio.
- Just ask - Use your voice to play music, check the news, make calls, add to your to do-list, set reminders, pay for gas, and more.
- Do More with Auto Mode – Turn your phone into a driver-friendly display that complements your Echo Auto. See what's playing and save time with easy-touch shortcuts to your favorite places, people, and content.
- Designed to protect your privacy – Amazon is not in the business of selling your personal information to others. Built with multiple layers of privacy controls including a mic off button.
- Check for compatibility – Echo Auto is not compatible with all cars and phones. See if it will work for you below.
Is Echo Auto compatible with my car?
Echo Auto is designed to enable Alexa hands-free features, such as play music, make calls, answer text messages and more, for cars that don't have voice assistant support built-in.
Echo Auto is not compatible with some cars that support Bluetooth to play music. Check if your vehicle is compatible with Echo Auto if using Bluetooth.
The included air vent mount is not compatible with some style of air vents. Check if your vehicle's air vents are compatible with the included mount.
Is Echo Auto compatible with my smartphone?
Echo Auto connects to Alexa through the Alexa app on your phone and uses your existing smartphone data plan for connectivity and other features. Carrier charges may apply.
Please note that certain smartphones are not compatible with Echo Auto. Check if your smartphone is compatible with Echo Auto.
Smart home devices for you
Explore best-selling devices that work with Alexa-
"Alexa, turn on the lights."
Control the lights with your voice.
Customers also bought these items from Amazon Devices
- Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) Adjustable Stand | CharcoalFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 19Only 1 left in stock - order soon.Climate Pledge FriendlyProducts with trusted sustainability certification(s). Learn more
PRODUCT CERTIFICATION (1)
Reducing CO2 products reduce their carbon footprint year after year. Certified by the Carbon Trust.
- Echo Show 5 (1st Gen) Adjustable Stand - WhiteFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 19
- Echo Studio | Our best-sounding smart speaker ever - With Dolby Atmos, spatial audio processing technology, and Alexa | CharcoalFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 19
Top Brand: Amazon
Just ask Alexa to play music, continue your Audible audiobook, check your calendar, find nearby businesses, or make calls. With 8 microphones, Echo Auto even hears you over road noise. Echo Auto starts up in seconds, works through your car speakers, and uses your existing smartphone plan.
Echo Auto connects to Alexa through your phone's Alexa app and plays through your car's speakers via auxiliary input or your smartphone's Bluetooth connection. Echo Auto also works with Auto Mode in the Alexa app, which turns your phone into a smart, driver-friendly display optimized for use in the vehicle. Large glanceable text, easy-touch controls, and shortcuts for your favorite destinations, contacts, and media to make it easier to navigate, stay connected, and entertained while you drive. Phone holder or mount is not included with Echo Auto. |
|
Echo Auto uses the Alexa app to access your favorite content. Just ask Alexa to play a song, genre, artist, or station from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, SiriusXM, and more. With TuneIn and iHeartRadio, listen to local radio stations or thousands more from around the world. With Audible, listen to the world’s largest library of audiobooks. Plus, stream podcasts, listen to the news, or keep the whole car entertained with games like Jeopardy!, 20 Questions, and more. |
|
Update to-do lists, set reminders, or check calendars while your eyes stay on the road. Just ask for directions and Alexa connects to supported apps like Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze on your phone. Alexa can even help you make calls, Share your ETA with compatible Echo devices at home, or Drop In to say that you’re on your way.
With tens of thousands of skills and counting, Alexa is always getting smarter. Skills are like apps and let you play roadtrip games like HeadsUp!, find the cheapest gas with GasBuddy, get help parking with ParkWhiz or ParkBob, or even get roadside assistance with Nationwide or Urgent.ly.
Designed to protect your privacyAlexa and Echo devices are built with multiple layers of privacy protection. For example, Echo Auto has a microphone off button that electronically disconnects the microphones. You also have control over your voice recordings. You can view, hear, or delete them at any time. Learn more about privacy |
Technical Details
Size |
3.3” x 1.9” x 0.5” (85 mm x 47 mm x 13.28 mm) |
Weight |
1.6 oz (45 grams) Actual size and weight may vary by manufacturing process |
Smartphone plan usage and compatibility |
Echo Auto uses your existing smartphone plan and the Alexa app for connectivity and other features. Carrier charges may apply. Please consult your carrier for information on any fees and limitations that apply to your plan. Echo Auto supports Android 6.0 and iOS 12 or greater. However, please note that the following smartphones are not compatible with Echo Auto. |
Connectivity |
Echo Auto connects to most cars that support Bluetooth to play music or that have an auxiliary input. If using Bluetooth, some vehicles do not work well with Echo Auto. Learn more here. If you can't connect devices to your car to play music via Bluetooth or auxiliary cable, then you may be able to connect Echo Auto with an additional accessory like an FM transmitter or cassette tape adapter. |
Bluetooth |
Hands-Free Profile (HFP) support for calling, Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) support for audio streaming, Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) for voice control of media sessions, Serial Port Profile for Bluetooth connectivity to Android phones and iPod Accessory Protocol for Bluetooth connectivity to iPhones. |
Audio |
Eight microphone array. Supports auxiliary audio output. |
Processor |
Mediatek MT7697, Intel Dual DSP with Inference Engine |
Accessibility Features |
Learn more about Alexa accessibility. |
Warranty and Service |
1-year limited warranty and service included. Optional 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year extended warranties will be available for U.S. customers and sold separately. Use of Echo Auto is subject to the terms found here. |
Included in the Box |
Echo Auto, In-Car Power Adapter, Micro-USB cable (1m), 3.5mm auxiliary cable (1m), vent mount, and Quick Start Guide. |
Privacy Features |
Wake word technology, streaming indicator, mute button in the Alexa app, the ability to view and delete your voice recordings, and more. Visit the Alexa Privacy Hub to explore how Alexa and Echo devices are designed to protect your privacy. |
Software Security Updates |
This device receives guaranteed software security updates until at least four years after the device is last available for purchase as a new unit on our websites. Learn more about these software security updates. If you already own an Amazon Echo, visit Manage Your Content and Devices for information specific to your device. |
Videos
Videos for this product
1:19
Click to play video
Echo Auto- Hands-free Alexa in your car with your phone
jorge luis
Looking for specific info?
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers have expressed negative opinions about the connectivity and value of the digital device. They mention that it loses connection and is impossible to one-touch reconnect. They also have mixed opinions on ease of setup, sound quality, performance, alexa compatibility, music, and voice recognition.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers are mixed about the performance of the digital device. Some mention that it works beautifully, the voice dialer works great, and the commands are responsive. However, others say that it doesn't do them all that well, has zero response, and is slow to respond.
"...Drop in works well enough though...." Read more
"...As to this 1st gen not working, well the rants on the reviews included things like, I don't have bluetooth in my car but why all the cords...." Read more
"...(like adding full names to the three Logans I know.) The voice dialer works great.Texting:..." Read more
"...So what gives? Don't get me wrong, it's still pretty decent...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the ease of setup of the digital device. Some mention that it's convenient, easy to use, and connects quickly and easily to their iPhone, while others say that it was not seamless and they had difficulty establishing a new connection after an old one. Some say that the instructions are not perfectly intuitive, and that the device gave them inaccurate directions on only 1 out of 5 occasions. Overall, the product is considered to be the most frustrating piece of tech that they own.
"...I used 1" width. Hooking up the cabling was ez...." Read more
"...So far it only gave me accurate directions on only 1 out of 5 occasions...." Read more
"...The set up was simple, integration with my phone and car stereo was flawless and Alexa understands exactly what I'm asking of her, makes calls,..." Read more
"...improved my 2000s car experience with high quality microphones, easy and reliable bluetooth connectivity and cool new voice functionality...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the Alexa compatibility of the Echo Auto. Some mention that it has full Alexa capabilities, including the ability to ask random questions. However, others say that it does not work with Car Play and that you need to have the Alex app open on your phone. Some customers also mention that Alexa interrupts them on phone calls and has a broken up voice.
"...So with this all being said, its a handy way to use alexa hands free in places you can't normally use a Dot or Echo, or Show device because of..." Read more
"...Quite frankly, the Alexa app sucks as virtual phone assistant. It's even worse than the Google assistant yet Alexa is great when using the Echo...." Read more
"...In other words, using Alexa and Siri is seamless...." Read more
"...app when I got to the list of new devices to choose from echo auto was not shown. I had to use the search box on that page and type in “echo auto.”..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the music playback of the digital device. Some mention that it has amazing music play back, while others say that it annoys the c-r-p out of them as it won't play songs or podcasts, and it doesn't allow streaming of music. Some say that the Echo Auto has some music and audiobook issues, and that it won’t ever automatically play.
"...Light bulb moment. All the audio really comes from your phone. The auto device is basically a microphone to use alexa...." Read more
"...I get some great radio stations in other states, though I wish there were a few more select stations available...." Read more
"...function built-in, but it ONLY works for phone calls… it does not allow streaming of music or other audio, so we also had to disable her phone from..." Read more
"...I have not had any issues being heard except over the sound of my own music. Which brings me to:LISTENING TO MY MUSIC..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the sound quality of the digital device. Some mention that the sound is as great as their car sound system allows, while others say that the volume was almost inaudible. Some complain that they are hearing an echo, while other say that they need a louder voice.
"This is a great device for hands free. I love the sound quality of the music. The fact that it eliminated my want of Satellite XM is awesome...." Read more
"...I drive a noisy convertible and sometimes the volume is a little low, even on max. Some streaming services are lower than others...." Read more
"...First, I directly connected my phone to the aux port. This gave me fine sounds quality but required a lot of “set up” getting into and out of the car..." Read more
"...Don't get me wrong, it's still pretty decent. But no where near the sound quality that I get when connected to Android Auto without Echo Auto as the..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the voice recognition of the digital device. Some mention that it has superior Voice Recognition then their phones or headunits, while others say that the voice is terrible and won't respond to their voice. The microphones pick up very well, even for back-seat passengers. However, some customers also say that it won''t hear them over the wind noise or even over the speakers.
"...If your windows are down while driving your voice doesn't register. It also would be great if she was louder when speaking navigation directions...." Read more
"...Auto has meaningfully improved my 2000s car experience with high quality microphones, easy and reliable bluetooth connectivity and cool new voice..." Read more
"...-Poorer command of Music Unlimited as opposed to the Amazon Music App. Better integration here would be cool...." Read more
"...Pros:• Provides Alexa functionality in the car, giving voice control similar to an Echo device in the home.•..." Read more
Customers have connectivity issues with the Echo Auto. They mention that it loses connection, and it's impossible to one-touch reconnect. They also say that it disconnects from other Bluetooth devices and connects to the Echo auto.
"...As a design its both brilliant and frivolous. With no access to regular WiFi ti needs connectivity, your phone has connectivity so just use that...." Read more
"...Bluetooth connectivity. There are times it won't connect automatically. Manually launching the Alexa app on my phone usually works...." Read more
"...The issue that I have is that it continues to attempt to use BT when making calls, even though I have tried repeatedly to get it to do everything..." Read more
"...I love that it can call someone hands free like Alexa call sister Cheryl or look up and call Round Table Pizza or Alexa increase volume or lower..." Read more
Customers are dissatisfied with the value of the digital device. They say that it is not worth the trouble, and is a useless product. Customers also complain about the cords.
"...Also, the sound quality coming through these adapter has been shockingly poor. Very quiet, even when at max volume...." Read more
"...The second con was the mount. Its straight up garbage...." Read more
"...That being said, for the price its great. I've had it in multiple vehicles from my 01 Mustang, to my 15 Fusion and Explorer...." Read more
"...I purchased during invite for $25. This is NOT worth $50 until they have solid directions, troubleshooting, and work out the kinks...." Read more
Reviews with images
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
This is for all intents and purposes an alexa audio gateway device. I pondered how to configure it while I waited for it and the day of the install it just worked. Here is what I mean. Yes it has an aux output and built in microphones. The aux output however is completely optional. I have never used it once. It was powered on in my car but my phone was not connected to my stereo. I asked it something and the sound cam out of my phone.
Light bulb moment. All the audio really comes from your phone. The auto device is basically a microphone to use alexa. Now I believe it will pump out all the audio through the aux port into your car but I find those wires to be....ugly. I have occasional car bluetooth glitches (ford sync issue) but the line in always works on my car, so when that happens I just turn on the bluetooth receiver I have and change inputs and literally nothing but the cars display changes.Where my aux input is vs where the device is mounted in my car would require me run a long cable and do a more complex install. Not something I want to do. The only time sound comes out of the device itself (yes there is a really tiny speaker in there) is when it can't connect to my phone. The alexa service runs in the app on your phone. As a design its both brilliant and frivolous. With no access to regular WiFi ti needs connectivity, your phone has connectivity so just use that. But wait, since your phone is also a very smart device, offload the processing there. Why, not just use the microphone on the phone itself? Because this way they can sell you an additional device. Some phones out there do have alexa voice activation but those seem to be mostly Motorola devices and myself I like Samsung devices better. Also being a child of the 80's I really like the blue voice bar, it makes me feel like I'm one step closer to talking to KITT in my car (I just REALLY wish it could use an alternate wake word). So with this all being said, its a handy way to use alexa hands free in places you can't normally use a Dot or Echo, or Show device because of network restrictions.
That being said, for the price its great. I've had it in multiple vehicles from my 01 Mustang, to my 15 Fusion and Explorer. Connect your phone to a bluetooth speaker or car after you set up the device, give the device power and your DONE. I'me even thinking or ordering another one for my office, since I miss having alexa at work and I can not connect it to my office WiFi because of security. But I do have a nifty bluetooth speaker and extra charger.
I use it routinely to place phone calls more easily than the Ford Sync voice commands. Listen to my flash news briefing for customized news during my commute. Play music etc. I won't lie, as much as I use my Echos and Dots for home automation and smart home stuff I have never bothered with it in the car the the echo dot. Drop in works well enough though.
Would I prefer to not have the cost of hardware to use alexa? Yes. Am ?I truly bummed about it? No. Truthfully, I think the extra microphone array works better than just using the one in my phone. So in that respect would I buy it again? If I look at it as an alexa helper device or audio gateway absolutely. Previous to having alexa everywhere in my house, I used google assistant and it had trouble hearing me in the car with the road noise. My echo auto almost never has that issue. So in that respect its worth it to me as I am part of that ecosystem already (Echo 1st gens in bedroom and living room, Dots with better speakers in the kids rooms and garage, Show 1st gen in my kitchen and more smart home tech than my wife can stand).
Verdict? Buy it, but understand what it actually is when you do.
This 1st gen has 8 microphones vs the 2nd gen upcoming later this month (Oct. 2022) - which only has 5 microphones, but will allow you to call for roadside assistance and is somewhat smaller. But, I mean if you are rolled over in a car and it shuts off - then you aren't gonna be able to say 'Alexa call roadside' anyway. Most likely you would still use Siri or Google on your phone to tell them to make an emergency call. if you aren't rolled over and just on the side of the road, why do you need a second gen. echo auto with less microphones to call roadside for you? To be fair, the 2nd gen echo auto will do a quick charge of your phone and has an adhesive mount for placement other than on your car vent. By the way, you need a horizontal car vent slat to use the mount for the 1st gen otherwise find some double sided tape / velcro or buy the second gen. Personally, I don't want adhesive anything on my dash or console of my car though. It's better to place this higher up and in the center anyway to avoid speakers and possible road / engine noise.
As to this 1st gen not working, well the rants on the reviews included things like, I don't have bluetooth in my car but why all the cords. Well, if you don't have bluetooth, then you NEED some way for audio to get from the Alexa and down into your car speakers right? So, you use the aux cable, and of course the main cable is always required for power. By the way, audio through an aux cable is going to be clearer and not be subject to frequency interferences from other 2.4ghz signals, but it is somewhat possible to get feedback on a ground loop on the cable. As far as using both cables, I guess maybe if auto makers one day place USB C and not USB A in car ports, then it will be possible to use just 1 cord for data (music to your car) and power at the same time. Other reviews said the Echo Auto won't work only for a few minutes and you have to have the Alexa / Echo app open every time you get in the car. No problem there either, at least on my iPhone. I open the Alexa / Echo app and just don't close it, it stays idle in the background if I don't flick it up and off the screen to force close, which I think Android has the same background app feature as well. So, when I get in my car it takes about 1-2 minutes for everything to sync up once my car is started, but I am ready to go. I read other reviews about bad connection from the phone to the echo auto, but most of them were from 2018 or so and I'm sure the software has been updated, because I have no issue with it ever disconnecting from the phone. Echo Auto uses the processing of your phone to do its work, so if its slow its probably not just the bluetooth connection from you phone, most likely you should take a look at things on your phone like unnecessary background app refreshes or unnecessary location services, etc. on other apps too.
I have added a wireless Apple CarPlay dongle to my custom Android car stereo. So, this works great because I use Apple CarPlay for navigation and Siri commands and on screen visual (when I get near my home the garage door automatically shows up on my screen and I can press it and my garage can be fully open by the time I pull into the driveway, unlike waiting 30 seconds for it to open when I use the button on the visor from very close to my home). In other words, using Alexa and Siri is seamless. I can't use Siri to say disarm my Ring alarm, but I can with Alexa ... all in the same vehicle as I'm about 3 blocks from my house. Of course if you don't use CarPlay or Android Auto visual, and don't have it, then keeping the Alexa app open provides you with Alexa Auto visual for navigation, especially if you don't have any way to put in a touch screen in your car.
Also, noteworthy, if you have wired Android Auto or wired Apple CarPlay, built into your car, then when you sync with the USB cable from your phone to the car, depending on the software versions, you can have issues. The same is true with older Apple iOS software. It's a good idea to update your software on your phone to make it run smooth with Echo Auto.
I am not sure how well Echo Auto navigation works as compared to Apple or Android, but probably not quite as good, at least for now. But since Amazon is producing a gen 2 Echo Auto and has had Amazon Auto mode on their app for a couple years, I think that it will improve. It doesn't matter which platform you use, none of them can ever navigate you perfectly and you can get on a back road or not be instructed to turn somewhere that you could have (shorter path) because the maps don't update in real time whenever a city adds a street or blocks one off, etc.
It does come with a dual USB port cigarette adapter, so you can plug in the Echo Auto and another device too, but don't expect charging to be as fast if you do use both. Some cars have other cigarette lighter 12v ports, or other USB ports for charging - which is going to split up the workload and charge faster. If you use your car's USB port you could get warnings about the power usage, because some cars output 1.2A and some are 2.0A. I recommend using the cigarette adapter that came with the Echo Auto.
And the last thing I have to say is, I got a superb deal on the gen 1 because the gen 2 is coming out in a couple weeks. So, saving big was great for me. I am happy with my gen 1 but if you get a great deal on the gen 2 or not, the $54.99 2nd gen ... is a little high for my tastes and I would say wait for a sale.
So ask Alexa to call one of your contacts or ask her for a number wherever you want to call (i.e. Alexa what's the number to XYZ), then tell her to call the number she gave you, or for your flash briefing on your way to work, or directions, or listen to a podcast on your commute, or to play music, or the weather, or to arm your Ring alarm in Away mode, that you might have forgot on your way out, or to unlock your smart lock right before you get to your driveway, or drop in on an echo at your house to talk to family without even having to call ... the list goes on.