Music
AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth
Play from your iPhone, Mac or any Bluetooth device. Each speaker has its own tuned sound profile, with 24-bit output on the Echo 2nd Gen.
Open source · Community built
Free the hardware.
Keep the voice.
LibreEcho replaces the software on your Amazon Echo with an open operating system you control. Stream with AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth, play internet radio, set timers by voice, plug it into Home Assistant and manage everything from your own network — no Amazon account, no cloud and no subscription.
LibreEcho 0.14 is available now · 0.14.3 brings cleaner sound and Bluetooth volume sync
Before you start: installing LibreEcho means connecting a USB cable to your Echo and replacing its software. It’s a project for people comfortable with a few tools and a USB cable — we’ll walk you through it, and you can always ask the community for help.
- £0No subscription, ever
- LocalRuns on your network
- OpenEvery line of code
AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth
No cloud account needed
24-bit, tuned sound
Works with Home Assistant
No subscription, ever
OPEN SOURCE ✦ REPAIRABLE ✦ LOCAL-FIRST ✦ COMMUNITY-LED ✦ HARDWARE REUSE ✦
01 / Why LibreEcho
Your speaker, on your terms.
Millions of capable Echo speakers are tied to a cloud service their owners never chose to depend on. LibreEcho gives that hardware a second life as an open, private speaker that works for you.
Control
Your own control centre
Set up and manage your speaker from a web page on your home network. Nothing to sign up for, nothing to install on your phone.
Privacy
Local first
Wake word, speech recognition and speech synthesis can all run on the speaker itself. You decide which services, if any, it talks to.
Peace of mind
Safe, signed updates
Updates are cryptographically signed and installed to a spare slot, so if anything goes wrong your speaker rolls back to the version that worked.
LibreEcho is an independent, volunteer-run project. It’s in daily use in homes today and gets better with every release. Where something is still experimental we say so below, and we’re open about what isn’t finished yet.
02 / Features
What works today.
An honest snapshot of each feature in the current release. Last updated .
Music
- AirPlay 2 from iPhone, iPad and Mac.
- Bluetooth speaker with play/pause, track controls and phone volume sync.
- Internet radio — add your own stations, including BBC radio streams.
- Speaker tuning for each model, with 24-bit output on the Echo 2nd Gen.
Voice
- On-device wake word, speech recognition and two built-in British voices.
- Timers and “stop” work by voice with no internet connection.
- Connect the assistant you choose: Home Assistant Assist, your own local AI server, or Wyoming speech services.
- With an assistant connected, weather from the Met Office and other open sources.
Home Assistant
- Found automatically through the ESPHome integration.
- Use it as a voice satellite with Assist.
- A media player for your automations, plus announcements and timers.
- A microphone-mute switch you can automate.
Nursery
- Listen in on the room from your phone’s browser, iPhone included.
- White, pink and brown noise and a gentle heartbeat, with a sleep timer and fade-out.
- A soft sleep light on the ring, solid or pulsing.
Your control centre
- A web control centre for audio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, timers, the light ring and updates.
- Guided setup, multiple accounts, backup and restore, and one-click diagnostics.
- A music visualiser, night mode and colour choices for the light ring.
- A recovery Wi-Fi hotspot if your network ever changes.
Built to last
- Signed updates from the control centre, with automatic rollback.
- A documented REST API, with interactive docs on the speaker.
- Optional SSH access for tinkerers.
- Open source from the kernel up.
Ready to useWorks, still being polishedExperimentalPlanned
| Feature | Status | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Installation, recovery and rollback | Ready to use | A guided installer sets up two copies of the system. If an update ever fails, your speaker falls back to the copy that worked. |
| Signed over-the-air updates | Ready to use | Check for updates from the control centre. Every update is signature-checked before it’s installed. |
| AirPlay 2 | Ready to use | Reliable playback from Apple devices, following the speaker’s volume. |
| Bluetooth audio | Ready to use | Stream from phones and computers with playback controls. From 0.14.3, playback is crackle-free and your phone’s volume controls the speaker. |
| Internet radio | Ready to use | Add up to 32 stations, including HLS streams such as BBC radio. |
| Web control centre and LED ring | Ready to use | Manage audio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, timers, updates and the light ring from your browser. |
| Timers | Ready to use | Up to 16 named timers, set by voice or from the control centre. They survive a restart. |
| Nursery | Ready to use | Baby-monitor listening in your browser, sleep sounds with a timer, and a sleep light. |
| Wi-Fi | Works, still being polished | Connects and reconnects automatically, with a recovery hotspot as a fallback. Long-running recovery after network outages is still being improved. |
| Home Assistant | Works, still being polished | Home Assistant finds your speaker through ESPHome and can use it for voice, media, announcements and timers. Deeper integration is on the roadmap. |
| Wake word and local voice | Works, still being polished | On-device wake word, speech recognition and speech synthesis in English. Accuracy is still improving. |
| Voice assistant services | Experimental | Connect Home Assistant Assist, your own OpenAI-compatible AI server or Wyoming speech services. Read the privacy section first — that service will receive your requests. |
| Volume leveling | Experimental | New in 0.14.3 and off by default. Evens out loudness between tracks; a reworked version is planned for 0.15. |
| USB music playback | Experimental | Play MP3 and Opus files from a USB stick. The Echo 2nd Gen needs a hardware modification for USB. |
| Microphone mute button | Experimental | Works as a software mute. Not yet verified as a hardware-level privacy switch — see privacy. |
Keep it on your home network. The control centre is designed for your local network only — please don’t expose it to the internet.
03 / Supported devices
Which Echo do I have?
LibreEcho is built for specific hardware, so it’s worth checking your model before you begin. Devices that look similar, or share a name, can use quite different parts inside.
Check before you buy or download
- Amazon Echo 2nd Gen — the tall fabric-covered cylinder released in 2017. Supported today.
- Amazon Echo Dot 2nd Gen — the small puck. Supported from LibreEcho 0.14, as an experimental target that has had less testing than the Echo.
- Other Echo, Dot, Show and Studio models aren’t supported yet — see the roadmap for what we’re looking at next.
- The model is printed on the base of your device. If you share it with us, please leave out the serial number.
At a glance
- Supported now
- Amazon Echo 2nd Gen with LibreEcho 0.14.3.
- Experimental
- Amazon Echo Dot 2nd Gen, from the same release, with the same features.
- Not yet supported
- All other Echo generations and models.
- What you’ll need
- A computer, a good USB data cable and a way to connect it to the device’s USB pins.
04 / Roadmap
Where we are, and where we’re heading.
LibreEcho moves in steady releases. Here’s what you can use today, what’s about to land, and the ideas we’re working towards. Dates aren’t promised — we ship when it’s ready and tested on real hardware.
Available now · 0.14.3
Echo Dot joins the family
Echo Dot 2nd Gen support, Home Assistant via ESPHome, internet radio, the Nursery and, in 0.14.3, cleaner sound and Bluetooth volume sync. What’s new
Planned
Multi-room audio with Sendspin
Play in sync across the LibreEcho speakers in your home with Sendspin, the open multi-room audio protocol used by Music Assistant.
Ongoing
Features you ask for
LibreEcho is shaped by the people who use it. We keep adding the features owners ask for most — suggest an idea.
Exploring
Making the most of the mics
Using the Echo’s seven-microphone array for things like knowing where in the room someone is speaking, and optional sound alerts such as a crying baby.
Research
More devices
Bringing LibreEcho to more Echo speakers, starting with the Echo Dot 3rd Gen, Echo 3rd Gen and Echo Plus 2nd Gen. See the device list
Latest update
What’s new in LibreEcho 0.14.3
A sound-quality update for every 0.14 speaker, released on 20 October 2026. Install it from the control centre: System › System update › Check for updates.
Better sound
- Crackle-free Bluetooth. Bluetooth audio now goes through the same high-quality resampler as AirPlay, so the occasional crackle is gone.
- 24-bit output. The Echo 2nd Gen keeps full precision from the volume control to the speaker, for cleaner quiet passages and vocals.
- One volume for everything. Bluetooth and AirPlay share the same volume and the same path to the speaker.
Easier to use
- Phone volume sync. Your phone’s volume buttons control the speaker, and changes made on the speaker show up on your phone.
- Volume leveling (experimental). A new switch under Audio › Output evens out loudness between tracks. It’s off by default while we refine it for 0.15.
Full details are in the 0.14.3 release notes.
Out now
What’s new in LibreEcho 0.14
0.14 is the biggest update since our first stable release. It was released on 16 October 2026.
Headline changes
- Echo Dot 2nd Gen support (experimental). One release now covers both the Echo 2nd Gen and the Echo Dot 2nd Gen.
- Home Assistant via ESPHome. Home Assistant discovers and adopts your speaker for voice, media, announcements and timers.
- Internet radio. Stream stations such as BBC radio, and play music from a USB stick.
- A more secure control centre. Turn on HTTPS in the control centre to encrypt your settings and passwords on your network.
- The Nursery. Built-in white, pink and brown noise and nursery sounds, plus a baby monitor you can listen to from your phone.
- Wake-word tuning. Adjustable sensitivity and microphone gain, and the option to use your own wake-word model.
- Restart progress. When your speaker restarts, the control centre shows a progress bar and an estimate of when it will be back.
Under the hood
- Smoother AirPlay with better LED ring feedback during playback.
- A new, more robust update system: every update installs a complete, signed copy of the system, and your speaker keeps the previous one until the new one has started properly.
- Numerous fixes across Wi-Fi, audio, Bluetooth and the light ring.
- An anonymous weekly check-in so we can see how many speakers run each release — exactly what’s sent is explained below.
0.13 no longer receives updates. The full list of changes is in the 0.14 release notes.
Future hardware
Many Echo models share the same MediaTek chips as the devices LibreEcho already runs on. Being able to unlock a device is the first step; every new model still needs its own work on audio, lights, recovery and testing before we can call it supported. This list shows where each device stands — it’s a map, not a promise.
✅ Supported🔵 Supported (experimental)🟢 Can be unlocked🟡 Promising — same chip family🟠 Under research⚪ New platform
Show the full device list
| Codename | Product | Chip | Status | Related project |
|---|---|---|---|---|
radar / Puffin platform | Amazon Echo 2nd Gen | MediaTek MT8163V | ✅ Supported — since 0.13 | LibreEcho |
biscuit | Amazon Echo Dot 2nd Gen | MediaTek MT8163V | 🔵 Supported (experimental) — since 0.14 | Amonet mt8163-biscuit / amonet-koboreru |
sonar | Amazon Echo Plus 1st Gen | MediaTek MT8163V | 🟡 Promising — same chip family | amonet-koboreru — MT8163 platform |
rook | Amazon Echo Spot 1st Gen | MediaTek MT8163V | 🟢 Can be unlocked | Amonet mt8163-rook / amonet-koboreru |
checkers | Amazon Echo Show 5 1st Gen | MediaTek MT8163 | 🟢 Can be unlocked — a strong first candidate with a screen | Amonet mt8163-checkers / amonet-koboreru |
crown | Amazon Echo Show 8 1st Gen | MediaTek MT8163 | 🟢 Can be unlocked | Amonet mt8163-crown / amonet-koboreru |
cronos | Amazon Echo Show 5 2nd Gen | MediaTek MT8163 | 🟢 Can be unlocked | Amonet mt8163-cronos / amonet-koboreru |
donut | Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Gen — Rev 1 | MediaTek MT8516BAAA | 🟢 Can be unlocked — the most likely next chip family | amonet-koboreru |
crumpet | Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Gen — Rev 2 / refresh | MediaTek MT8516BAAA | 🟢 Can be unlocked | amonet-koboreru |
cupcake | Amazon Echo Input | MediaTek MT8516BAAA | 🟢 Can be unlocked | amonet-koboreru |
cupcake | Amazon Echo Input Portable | MediaTek MT8516 family | 🟡 Promising — same chip family | amonet-koboreru |
lidar | Amazon Echo Plus 2nd Gen | MediaTek MT8516B | 🟡 Promising — same chip family — a popular speaker | amonet-koboreru — MT8516 platform |
pascal | Amazon Echo 3rd Gen | MediaTek MT8516 | 🟡 Promising — same chip family — a high priority | amonet-koboreru — MT8516 platform |
octave | Amazon Echo Studio — 2019 | MediaTek MT8516 family | 🟡 Promising — same chip family — a high-value target | amonet-koboreru — MT8516 platform |
octave | Amazon Echo Studio — 2022 refresh | MediaTek MT8516 family | 🟡 Promising — same chip family | amonet-koboreru — MT8516 platform |
doebrite | Amazon Echo Dot with Clock 3rd Gen | MediaTek MT8516BAAA | 🟡 Promising — same chip family, closely related to donut / crumpet | amonet-koboreru — MT8516 platform |
croissant | Amazon Echo Flex | MediaTek MT8516BAAA | 🟡 Promising — same chip family | amonet-koboreru — MT8516 platform |
sapphire | Amazon Echo Link | MediaTek MT8516B | 🟡 Promising — same chip family | amonet-koboreru — MT8516 platform |
kyanite | Amazon Echo Link Amp | MediaTek MT8516B | 🟡 Promising — same chip family | amonet-koboreru — MT8516 platform |
pablo | Amazon Echo Sub | MediaTek MT8516B | 🟡 Promising — same chip family | amonet-koboreru — MT8516 platform |
douglas | Amazon Fire HD 8 7th Gen | MediaTek MT8163 | 🟢 Can be unlocked — useful for testing; not a LibreEcho target | amonet-koboreru |
karnak | Amazon Fire HD 8 8th Gen | MediaTek MT8163 | 🟡 Promising — same chip family | amonet-koboreru — MT8163 platform |
mustang | Amazon Fire 7 9th Gen | MediaTek MT8163V/B | 🟡 Promising — same chip family | amonet-koboreru — MT8163 platform |
laser | Amazon Echo 4th Gen | MediaTek MT8512 + Amazon AZ1 | 🟠 Under research — a known MediaTek bootloader technique may apply; not yet proven on Echo | Fenrir — bl2_ext research / Sprig |
brownie | Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen | MediaTek MT8512BAAV | 🟠 Under research — not yet proven on Echo | Fenrir — bl2_ext research / Sprig |
ganache | Amazon Echo Dot with Clock 4th Gen | MediaTek MT8512BAAV | 🟠 Under research — not yet proven on Echo | Fenrir — bl2_ext research / Sprig |
cannoli | Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen | MediaTek MT8519 + Amazon AZ2 | 🟠 Under research — not yet proven on Echo | Fenrir — bl2_ext research |
churro | Amazon Echo Pop | MediaTek MT8519 + Amazon AZ2 | 🟠 Under research — not yet proven on Echo | Fenrir — bl2_ext research |
baklava | Amazon Echo Spot 2024 / 2nd Gen | MediaTek MT8519 + Amazon AZ2 | 🟠 Under research — not yet proven on Echo | Fenrir — bl2_ext research |
maverick | Amazon Fire HD 10 (2019) | MediaTek MT8183 | 🟠 Under research — groundwork exists; unlocking not yet proven | Kaeru — MT8183 + Amazon groundwork |
persimmon | Amazon Echo Studio 2025 | Amazon AZ3 Pro platform | ⚪ New platform — different hardware from the earlier Studio | None yet |
Links point to the independent bootloader projects that make unlocking these devices possible. We’re grateful to their authors.
05 / Install
Installing LibreEcho, step by step.
Start with the browser installer: it’s the simplest way in. If it doesn’t work for you, the installation guide for 0.14 covers the tested installer in detail, and there’s an overview of its steps below.
Please read before installing: installation replaces your Echo’s software and erases what’s on it. Like any modification there is a small risk of damage. Follow the guide carefully, and ask on Discord if anything is unclear.
Start here · preview, not fully tested
Try the browser installer first
The quickest way to install is straight from your web browser — there’s nothing to download or set up on your computer. Open the installer in Chrome, Edge or another Chromium-based browser on a desktop or laptop, plug in your speaker, and it takes you through each step.
It hasn’t been fully tested yet. Read the warning above before you start. If it doesn’t work for you, or you’d rather use the tested route, use the installer in the installation guide instead — the steps below describe it. Either way, please tell us how it went on Discord or in a GitHub issue.
Or use the guide installer
Check your device
Make sure you have an Amazon Echo 2nd Gen or Echo Dot 2nd Gen, a computer, and a USB data cable that you know works.
Download the release
The installer downloads the files from the 0.14.3 release page for you and checks every one of them before it changes anything on your speaker.
Connect
Connect the speaker to your computer over USB, following the 0.14 installation guide. No shorting or soldering of special points is needed — the guide shows exactly where to connect.
Run the installer
A single installer checks which model you have and that the files match it, then writes LibreEcho. If anything doesn’t match, it stops before changing your speaker.
First start
The installer restarts your speaker and opens the setup page in your browser, where you create your account and connect it to Wi-Fi.
Stay up to date
Future updates install from the control centre — no need to connect a cable again. If an update ever fails to start, LibreEcho rolls back automatically.
Already running 0.13? 0.13 can’t update itself to 0.14, because 0.14 uses a new update format. Your speaker stays safely on 0.13 until you reinstall with the 0.14 installer. Reinstalling erases your settings, Wi-Fi details and pairings, so you’ll run setup again afterwards. From 0.14 on, updates install from the control centre as before. Some Echo 2nd Gen speakers set up with early tools need a one-off boot-chain migration before reinstalling; the installation guide explains how to tell.
06 / Demo
Try the control centre in your browser.
See what it’s like to manage a LibreEcho speaker before you install anything. The demo is a simulation that runs entirely in your browser — it doesn’t connect to a real device.
07 / Downloads
The current release.
Everything you need for a fresh install or an update is attached to the release on GitHub.
Stable release
LibreEcho 0.14.3
Released 20 October 2026 · for Amazon Echo 2nd Gen and Echo Dot 2nd Gen (experimental) · tag radar-puffin-v0.14.3
The latest 0.14 update, focused on sound quality. Bluetooth playback no longer crackles, your phone’s volume buttons now control the speaker, and the Echo 2nd Gen sends higher-precision 24-bit audio to its speaker for cleaner quiet passages and vocals. There’s also a new, experimental volume-leveling switch under Audio › Output, off by default. Already on 0.14? Update from the control centre: System › System update › Check for updates. For a fresh install, download the files for your model — the installer checks that they match your device before it writes anything.
Echo 2nd Gen
Echo Dot 2nd Gen
Check your download
sha256sum -c libreecho-radar-puffin-v0.14.3-SHA256SUMSRun this in the folder where you saved the files. For the Echo Dot, use libreecho-biscuit-v0.14.3-SHA256SUMS instead. Every line should say OK; if one doesn’t, download that file again.
Coming from 0.13?
0.13 can’t update itself to 0.14 — reinstall with the 0.14 installer, which erases your settings. See the install section. Some Echo 2nd Gen speakers set up with early tools need a one-off boot-chain migration first; the installation guide explains how to tell. Older releases stay available on the releases page.
08 / Privacy
Local first, and clear about everything else.
LibreEcho is designed to do as much as possible on the speaker itself. When something does leave your home, it’s because you chose a service that needs it — or it’s one of the items below, which we explain in full.
Wake wordListening for the wake word happens on the speaker. Audio isn’t sent anywhere until the wake word is heard.
Speech recognition and repliesOn-device speech recognition and speech synthesis are available. If you choose an online service instead, it will receive your voice or text according to its own privacy policy.
Assistant servicesIf you connect an assistant, your requests go to that provider. Choose one you trust, and check its terms before turning it on.
MusicAirPlay and Bluetooth stream directly between your device and the speaker over your home network.
UpdatesYour speaker checks for updates when you ask it to, downloading them from the LibreEcho download mirror at dl.libreecho.org, or from the LibreEcho releases on GitHub.
Anonymous check-in (from 0.14)Once a week, the speaker sends a tiny message saying which model it is and which LibreEcho version it runs. That’s it — no name, account, Wi-Fi details, recordings or usage data. It helps us see how many speakers run each release, so we can roll out updates safely. Because it can’t be switched off, setup shows you exactly what’s sent before you finish.
About the mute button
We haven’t yet verified the mute button as a hardware-level guarantee that the microphones are disconnected. Until we have, please treat it as a software mute.
Optional diagnostics (from 0.14)
Setup asks whether you’re happy to share health information and crash reports to help us fix bugs. These are optional and can be changed at any time in settings. 0.14 doesn’t send either yet; they’ll only be used in a later release, and full crash logs will only ever be sent if you choose to send one.
Keeping your speaker secure
- Choose a strong admin password during setup.
- Keep the control centre on your home network — don’t expose it to the internet.
- When sharing logs, remove passwords, Wi-Fi names and serial numbers.
09 / Help and support
Need help? Here’s where to go.
LibreEcho is run by volunteers, so we can’t promise response times — but there’s a friendly community and we read every report.
Ask the communityThe quickest way to get help with installing or using LibreEcho. Join us on Discord.Report a bugFound something broken? Open an issue on GitHub with the steps to reproduce it.Suggest an ideaShare feature ideas and questions in GitHub Discussions.Report a security issuePlease report vulnerabilities privately through GitHub, not in a public issue.
Writing a helpful bug report
- Your LibreEcho version, shown in the control centre.
- Your Echo model (but not its serial number).
- What you did, what you expected and what happened instead.
- Whether it still happens after a restart.
- Any logs, with passwords, Wi-Fi names and addresses removed.
Security updates
Our security policy covers every LibreEcho project. We aim to acknowledge reports within 7 days, assess them within 14 days and fix or mitigate confirmed issues within 90 days — on a best-effort basis.
| Release | Receives security fixes |
|---|---|
| 0.14.x | Yes |
| 0.13.x | No — please reinstall with 0.14 |
| Development builds | No |
Published advisories: none so far. Any future advisories will be listed on GitHub and in our advisory archive.
View security advisories10 / Licensing
Open source, with credit where it’s due.
LibreEcho’s own code and this website are open source. LibreEcho also builds on the work of many other projects, each with its own licence.
LibreEcho code and websiteReleased under the licence in each repository.
Linux and system componentsGPL and LGPL, with their original notices preserved.
Speech voiceCC BY-SA, which requires attribution and sharing alike.
Wake-word modelCC BY-NC-SA, for non-commercial use.
Device firmwareSome firmware comes from your own device during installation. LibreEcho never uploads or redistributes it.
Source code
Source code, licence notices and component details for each release are published alongside it on GitHub.
The control centre is developed in the LibreEcho-UI repository.
Browse the LibreEcho source
11 / Get involved
Help give more speakers a second life.
Whether you write code, test on your own Echo, improve the docs or simply spread the word, there’s a place for you. Start with the main repository — it links to everything else.
We’re looking for maintainers and contributors
LibreEcho is growing faster than one team can keep up with.
We’d love help from people who want to own a piece of the project, or just fix the thing that bugs them. Areas where help would make the biggest difference:
- Embedded Linux and drivers — the kernel, audio and new MediaTek devices.
- Speaker services in C — audio, Bluetooth, voice and Home Assistant.
- The web control centre — JavaScript, design and accessibility.
- Audio and DSP — tuning, multi-room and Sendspin.
- Testing on real hardware — especially Echo Dot owners and new models.
- Docs and support — guides, the website and helping people on Discord.
LibreEchoReleases, issues and where to startLibreEcho-UIThe web control centre and speaker servicesLibreEcho-PlatformThe operating system, installer and updatesLibreEcho-Linux-6.1The Linux kernel and hardware driversLibreEcho-DocsThis websiteLibreEcho-Docs-devDeveloper documentation and the demo
Keep the lights on.
Donations pay for test devices, build servers and the hours spent making LibreEcho work on real hardware. Every contribution goes straight into the next release.
Buy LibreEcho a beer
Join the community.
Chat with other LibreEcho users and contributors, ask questions and follow development.
Join LibreEcho on DiscordDonate hardware.
Spare Echo 2nd Gen or Echo Dot 2nd Gen speakers, other Echo models we’re researching, and test cables all help us support more devices. Please get in touch before sending anything.
Offer hardware