AMAZON ECHO HUB GETS MASSIVE UPDATE

Amazon is pushing a free software update to Echo Hub owners that completely rebuilds the interface from the ground up. The 8-inch wall-mounted display, priced at $180, has always been about smart home control, but the new version gives users actual control over how that control surface looks and behaves.

During normal operation, the Echo Hub shows controls for the devices you use the most. The devices must work with Alexa to appear on the home screen. What changed is that you can now move tiles around, choose specific devices to add for easier access, and resize individual tiles to make your most-used switches and cameras significantly bigger. Simple drag-and-drop actions let you customize interface sections.

OPTIMISED USER CONTROL

Early smart home hubs often had rigid layouts that made users adapt to the software. Amazon flipped that equation. Users now have full control of exactly which devices, groups, and automations populate their home screen, and can arrange everything in a way that reflects how they actually run their smart home.

Devices are now grouped automatically by room and function. You can sort your dashboard by room or function, and manually create your own groups using the Add group button. Users can add or remove devices, drag to reorder them, and control everything in that group with a single tap. New groups are available instantly via voice control and the mobile app.

LIGHTING UPGRADE

Enhanced device control is heavily upgraded in this update. Users can hit the power button directly on any tile for instant on/off triggering. Tapping the three dots on a connected device provides granular settings.

For smart light bulbs specifically, the upgrade is substantial. Users get precise 0-100% dimming controls, a meaningful jump from binary on/off. You can dim smart light bulbs from 1% to 100%, giving you actual control over ambiance rather than just light or no light. Users also have full access to a color wheel for compatible smart bulbs.

VIDEO AND SECURITY

With Alexa Plus and a Ring AI subscription, the Echo Hub becomes a more capable security dashboard. Alexa Plus provides smart summaries of detected camera events including package deliveries or dog walkers, pulling context from Ring's video analysis. The Echo Hub can provide video clips of relevant actions and display up to four video feeds at the same time.

Users can search through existing security videos on the Hub with Alexa voice commands. Alexa Plus ties directly into Ring's Video Search, so you can ask Alexa to find footage of specific events and pull it up on the 8-inch display. Users can also set up Routines using just their voice with Alexa Plus, and chat with Alexa Plus to control multiple devices at the same time.

ROUTINES AND ADAPTATION

Users can access frequently used Routines directly from the home screen or automations tab. The update makes the automation side of the Echo Hub more visible, since most users never ventured past the main control surface on earlier versions.

HOW TO UPDATE

Existing Echo Hub owners will see a notification at the top of their device saying Update available. One tap confirms the update and the device goes straight to the new experience. A representative from Amazon didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The Echo Hub was always positioned as Amazon's answer to the smart home control problem: a dedicated wall-mounted screen that lives where you need it, rather than reaching for a phone or shouting across the room. The hardware was solid. The software was fine. What it lacked was the flexibility to match how different households actually organize their connected devices.

This update fixes that. The question now is whether the market for dedicated smart home panels is big enough to matter. The Echo Hub competes against relatively few dedicated smart home displays, though the broader Echo Show line serves overlapping needs. What Amazon has done here is make the case that the Hub is worth the $180 premium over a standard Echo Show, because the dashboard is finally built around the user instead of around Amazon's defaults.