Amazon's giant ad ruins the Echo Show

It has been discovered that full-screen ads that cannot be disabled are starting to appear on Amazon's smart speaker with a display, the

In some regions, full-screen ads tagged 'sponsored' have been spotted on Echo Show devices. These ads appear when the device is set to 'Photo Frame' mode, which displays photos at all times. The ads appear between the user's photos.

Advertisements have been a part of Echo devices for some time, such as Alexa's 'By the way...' shopping recommendations and occasional product ads. But The Verge, which experienced the full-screen ads, said they had never been this blatant.

Alexa advertising began in November 2023, but the display advertising program shown on the home screen only began in the summer of 2025. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy emphasized that Alexa's new advertising is 'a revenue stream for the Devices & Services division,' suggesting that it will expand in the future.

However, at the time of writing, the ads appear to be limited and not shown to all users. American users who experience the ads can avoid them by switching to Kids Mode, which doesn't show ads yet, or by changing the language to Canadian English.

An Amazon spokesperson responded, 'Ads are a small part of the experience and help you discover new content and products that might interest you. If you don't like a suggestion, you can swipe to the next screen card, tap the information icon, or press the screen to give us feedback.'