You can’t view YouTube videos through the Amazon Echo Show

For $130, the device with a screen measuring 2.5-inches diagonally is similar to a digital alarm clock but can play music and handle video calls. It’s now the only model that features a touchscreen display and a front-facing camera for video chats. Now, this is slightly worrying as the one of the Echo Show’s primary USPs is the ability to access YouTube on demand with the help of voice. As of yesterday, Amazon Echo Show users found they could no longer watch YouTube videos on Amazon’s smart speaker with a built-in screen. Well, depending on what you were using the Amazon Echo Show for.

Amazon also noted that there was no technical reason for the decision, which implies that YouTube was working as the company expects it would on its Echo Show device.

The extension of Alexa to the Amazon Music app also enables users to make voice activation requests beyond music, such as asking about the day’s weather. It’s no big secret that Google is very particular about how other companies display YouTube on their apps or devices and their terms of service on its API is extensive on that matter.

Not reaching an agreement is not new for both companies, and the issue has been lingering for quite some time. According to Amazon, this is all Google’s doing, as opposed to some kind of technical hiccup that might be fixed with a software update. If not, Amazon will suffer a major blow to the video functionality of the Echo Show.

Amazon at its headquarters in Seattle on Wednesday announced a smaller, prettier and cloth-covered second generation version of Amazon Echo with improved voice recognition. The good thing about Google Home is that it supports third-party services like Spotify too. Microsoft modified the app to adhere to Google standards and the YouTube app was re-released for the Windows Phone. Hopefully, Google’s rampant anti-competitive actions can be adequately reigned in, if not by USA competition authorities by the more diligent European Commission. A message pops up, stating this: “Currently, Google is not supporting YouTube on Echo Show”.