Amazon has started informing customers that Alexa’s ability to manage emails will end on November 8th, 2021. The feature, which was added at the end of 2018, allowed customers to link Gmail, Hotmail, and Outlook email accounts in the Alexa app. Once linked, you could say “Alexa, read my email” to hear a list of your most recent emails. Then, you could ask for an email to be read, deleted, archived, and several other actions including replying to an email by voice. It’s unclear why Amazon is discontinuing the feature, but it did require Amazon to constantly check and store a copy of your emails on its servers, which could certainly be a burden if the feature was seldom used, not to mention the privacy and security concerns that doing so entails. As a byproduct, Alexa will also no longer be able to provide package tracking updates for non-Amazon deliveries, since that feature was only possible by linking your email account. Receiving Amazon delivery updates by saying “Alexa, where’s my stuff?” will continue to work, as will calendar access. Customers who have linked their email accounts with Alexa don’t need to do anything, as the email accounts will be unlinked automatically.
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I never used this feature as I was unsure how Alexa handled Spam (the kind that still made it into my inbox) and I didn’t want to here the the words “Your Prostate Health” or “Date Russian Women”
every time I asked Alexa to read my emails.
***Just Kidding on the terms above but you get the idea***
FYI- I don’t take myself too seriously, so it’s ok to make fun of me!
Some are postulating that it’s to do with two factor authentication, but who knows. I!d guess not too many people used the feature and a bit like doing a Google search, a screen less voice assistant is perhaps not the best vehicle.
I know a number of disable or older persons used this feature as it was a simple way for them to get email especially those who were not that familiar with technology or couldn’t use a smartphone etc. I’m wondering if Amazon might launch their own email service that then could be linked to peoples accounts? Once this service is turned off these customers may not have an option that they can use for email.
My mother is blind and cannot see her emails, this was literally a God-Send for her. Not sure what she will do now.
I have two blind friends who depended on this feature to keep up with emails. This seems to fly in the face of the Americans for Disabilities Act because it removes a reasonable accommodation. It’s like removing the wheelchair ramps from the county courthouse! I smell a class action lawsuit in the making…