Buzz
Back in May, Amazon introduced the Echo Show, a smart speaker integrated with Amazon Alexa virtual assistant, featuring a screen for users to watch videos as needed. Since its release, Echo Show users have been able to regularly watch cooking tutorials and music videos on YouTube. However, the situation has changed as of late with Google removing YouTube from Echo Show, signifying YouTube is no longer supported on Amazon Echo Show.
According to The Verge, it appears that Amazon and Google are embroiled in a battle over how YouTube will function on Echo Show.
According to Amazon, YouTube is no longer supported on Amazon Echo Show without any explanation from Google:
“Google made changes around 3 p.m. on September 26 (US time). YouTube used to be available on Echo Show to support customers of both sides. But this afternoon, Google removed YouTube support from Echo Show without any explanation or notification to customers. There were no technical issues forcing Google to do so, and this decision disappoints and hurts customers from both sides”.
YouTube is no longer supported on Amazon Echo Show
According to Google, both companies are currently negotiating but agreements have not been reached:
“We have been negotiating with Amazon for a long time, aiming for an agreement to provide the best experience for customers of both platforms. Amazon's integration of YouTube into Echo Show has violated our terms of service, creating a gap in user experience. We hope to reach an agreement soon and resolve this issue”.
Surely users remember the 'golden age' of Windows Mobile, when Microsoft and Google were also in a battle over integrating the YouTube app into the operating system. Google ended the battle by blocking the YouTube app, and users of Microsoft's mobile devices had to access YouTube through a browser.
The reason Google is not satisfied with how Echo Show displays YouTube may be because the YouTube version on Echo Show does not utilize some key features of the platform such as channel subscriptions, automatic playback of YouTube videos, and some other features.
