Amazon updates Echo Hub with a more customizable home screen
The free Echo Hub update adds room-based layouts, resizable controls, Ring video search and Alexa Plus camera summaries.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
Amazon is rolling out a free software update for Echo Hub devices that changes how the smart-home display presents controls and camera information, The Verge reported. The update matters for Echo Hub owners because it gives them more control over the dashboard they use to manage connected devices.
The Verge said the new home screen replaces the interface that shipped with the Echo Hub in 2024. The refreshed layout is designed to show more smart-home information and controls on the screen than the earlier version, according to The Verge.
Amazon had already added Alexa Plus AI support to the Echo Hub, The Verge reported. The latest update builds on that with a cleaner layout and more options for arranging the device’s main screen.
More control over the smart-home dashboard
According to The Verge, Amazon’s update lets Echo Hub users organize the dashboard by room or by function. Examples listed by Amazon include groups such as “Bedroom,” “Downstairs” and “Climate,” The Verge reported.
Users can reach existing groups from a bottom bar, choose a group and long-press to edit it, according to The Verge’s account of Amazon’s feature list. From there, they can add or remove devices, drag items into a preferred order and control all devices in a group with one tap.
The update also allows users to create new groups from an “Add group” button on the bottom bar, The Verge reported. After naming a group and adding devices, that group becomes available through voice control and the app as well, according to Amazon details cited by The Verge.
Amazon is also adding drag-and-drop controls for the Echo Hub’s sections and tiles, The Verge reported. Users can add, remove, arrange and resize sections so the dashboard better matches how they use their smart-home setup.
Ring and Alexa Plus camera features arrive
The Echo Hub is also gaining access to Ring AI’s Video Search feature, The Verge reported. That feature lets users search smart-home camera footage with natural-language queries, according to The Verge.
Alexa Plus summaries for detected camera events are part of the update as well, The Verge reported. The summaries add another AI-driven camera feature to the Echo Hub, which Amazon positions as a control panel for connected-home devices.
The Verge described the update as a notable change from the original Echo Hub home screen. Amazon’s changes focus on making the display more flexible for households with multiple rooms, device groups and camera feeds.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.