Release update Ecosystems
Amazon Alexa, June 2026: Sleep Studio turns Echo into a kids' bedtime routine
Amazon's June headline is Sleep Studio, a curated bedtime routine for kids on Echo. Alexa+ has kept adding capabilities across 2026, from AI podcasts to voice food ordering, though it still isn't available in Australia. June also quietly retired Alexa Hunches and the Plex skill, so a couple of users will have something to tidy up. Update, 5 August 2026: Alexa+ has since launched in Australia.
Part of Amazon Alexa updates, our monthly release series
Every release
2026.6 Released 9 June 2026
Update, after one check The headline: a hands-off bedtime routine for kids, Sleep Studio, is the standout, while June also quietly retired Alexa Hunches and the third-party Plex skill.
In this release 3 smaller wins · 3 integrations added · 1 removed · 1 breaking change
Check first Alexa Hunches
Affected only if you use one of these. None in your setup? You're clear to update.
The headline feature: Sleep Studio gives kids a hands-off bedtime routine
Sleep Studio turns an Echo into a structured bedtime system for children. Parents set a sleep schedule and curate a playlist from the Amazon Kids+ Parent Dashboard, in the app or on the web. About 30 minutes before the child's set sleep time, the chosen Echo starts a wind-down sequence on its own, with no voice command needed, sequencing calming audio through to sleep.
The audio comes from three partners. Calm brings guided meditations, lullabies, soundscapes and stories; Headspace brings child-relaxation content it says was developed with paediatricians and child psychiatrists; and Moshi brings bedtime stories from the Moshi Monsters world. Tracks aren't shuffled at random. They follow the parent's setup and the child's schedule, with the system handling the timing and the transitions across the wind-down window.
Access is tied to the child's profile rather than the hardware, so it runs on Echo Dot Kids, Echo Pop Kids and any compatible Echo with an Amazon Kids+ profile enabled. Amazon lists it as available now, with no waitlist, bundled into an existing Kids+ subscription rather than sold separately.
Three smaller wins
The changes most people will notice day to day. Scan the tags for the areas you use.
Alexa+
Make your own podcast
Alexa+ can generate an AI-hosted podcast on a topic you choose, drawing on a couple of hundred news sources and producing an episode in minutes. You set the subject and length in conversation. It's a US Alexa+ feature.
Alexa+
Order dinner by voice
Alexa+ can place food orders through Grubhub and Uber Eats conversationally, so you can sort dinner without opening an app. It needs an Alexa+ subscription and a larger Echo Show, and it's US-first.
Echo Show
A real Amazon store on the screen
Recent Echo Show models now show a full visual Amazon storefront with Alexa+ as a shopping assistant, including up to a year of price history, deal alerts and quick reordering.
Integrations: 3 in, 1 out
Removals matter more than additions, because a removal can break an automation or dashboard that references it. They're listed first, with what to do about each.
Removed in 2026.6 1 integration
| Integration | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Plex skill | Discontinued | The third-party Plex Alexa skill was shut down on 15 June 2026, so you can no longer control Plex playback by voice through Alexa. Use the Plex app directly, or cast from your phone. |
Added in 2026.6 3 integrations
CalmHeadspaceMoshi
Breaking changes
One this month, and it's narrow. If the summary at the top already cleared you, nothing below applies to your setup.
Breaking changes · check before you update Most setups are unaffected
Alexa Hunches
Amazon discontinued Hunches, the feature that suggested actions and could automatically adjust smart-home devices based on your patterns, on 9 June 2026.
What to do: recreate anything you relied on Hunches for as an explicit Alexa Routine, which continues to work as before.
Should you update?
Our verdict Update, after one check
For most people this is still an easy month. Alexa updates on Amazon's side, so Sleep Studio arrives without you doing anything. The reason it's not a clean update-now is that June quietly retired two things: Alexa Hunches, which suggested actions and could adjust devices automatically, was discontinued on 9 June, and the third-party Plex skill was shut down on 15 June. Neither affects most households, but if you leaned on either, that's the one thing to sort out. Recreate Hunches behaviour as explicit Routines, and use the Plex app or casting for Plex.
Two things worth knowing rather than worrying about. First, if you're in Australia, the headline Alexa+ capabilities still aren't available here. Amazon isn't expected to bring Alexa+ to Australia until 2027, so your Echo keeps working exactly as it always has. Second, Amazon has started a closed beta of agentic ads on Echo Show, conversational ad units you can buy from without leaving the ad. It's a limited trial with a fixed set of partners for now, not something every advertiser can run, but it's a sign of where the screen experience is heading.
Source: press.aboutamazon.com
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to do anything to get these Alexa updates?
No. Alexa updates on Amazon's side, so new features appear on your Echo automatically. There's nothing to download or reinstall.
What is Sleep Studio and who is it for?
It's a bedtime feature for children that plays curated wind-down audio on an Echo, starting automatically about 30 minutes before a set sleep time. It's aimed at families with young kids and needs an Amazon Kids+ subscription, which it's included with at no extra cost.
Is Alexa+ available in Australia?
Not yet. As of the middle of 2026, Alexa+, the generative-AI version of Alexa, is generally available in the US and Canada, with early access in the UK and several European markets. Australia isn't on that list, and Amazon isn't expected to launch Alexa+ here until 2027, so features that rely on it, like AI podcasts and voice food ordering, aren't live in Australia. Your existing Echo and standard Alexa features keep working as normal. Update, 5 August 2026: Alexa+ launched in Australia on 5 August 2026, as an invitation-based Early Access programme. It is free while Early Access runs, then included with Amazon Prime, or A$29.99 a month without.
Did anything get removed this month?
Yes, two things. Alexa Hunches, which suggested actions and could adjust smart-home devices automatically, was discontinued on 9 June 2026, and the third-party Plex skill was shut down on 15 June. If you used Hunches, you can recreate that behaviour with explicit Alexa Routines. For Plex, use its own app or cast from your phone.
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