If your Echo Show suddenly is no longer showing a full-time clock and is instead showing headlines, tips, and trending cards, you’re not alone. This seems to be the case with Amazon’s paid Alexa Plus tier. That is, if the reports from the Amazon Echo subreddit are correct. It does this quietly behind your back and changes what features it prioritizes on your smart display’s home screen (such as shifting away from a clock).
What Echo Show users are seeing on their home screens
Users of Echo Show, and especially those who got Echo Show 5, the smaller countertop model that functions as a capable alarm clock by one’s bed, have spied a transformation: The space once dominated by an always-on clock face is being swapped out for rotating panels of news briefs, suggested prompts, and other AI-generated content. Reports to Amazon’s customer service line also indicate that for some users, a quick reboot returns their favorite clock — until the cards reassert control after some time goes by.
One common item among such reports is account status. Once an Alexa Plus device is online, other devices logged into that account seem to carry further on-screen “feature cards” which push recommendations and updates. In at least one often-cited case, canceling Alexa Plus caused a persistent clock on the Echo Show home screen.
Why the clock is gone when using Alexa Plus features
Alexa Plus: This is Amazon’s higher-end assistant experience that adds generative AI and more features in the vein of having a conversation. That brings with it a greater focus on proactive, glanceable cards that strive to provide the information you need before you ask for it. On a small screen, those cards are competing for the same real estate as the clock, which can force the time into an even punier widget or behind rotated content.
This seems more like an account-level behavior, not a one-device effect. If enabled for your profile, this same logic can be applied to any Echo Show connected to the account via Alexa Plus toggles. Amazon’s own support materials mention “Home Content” settings that supposedly govern categories including news, tips, and personalized recommendations—features that dovetail with what users complain are disappearing when the clock moves.
And expectations naturally vary by product, too. The Echo Show 5 is heavily pitched as a nightstand display. When proactive content gets in the middle of that use case, it can be a downgrade even if, overall, the assistant is more capable. That’s a classic tension in the design of smart displays: It can be very useful as an always-there clock versus a noisier, information-forward dashboard.
Quick fixes to try to restore a clock-first Echo Show
- Begin on the device: Swipe down from the top of your Echo Show, go to Settings, and find Home Content (or Home Screen). Turn off suggestions like News, Trending, Tips, and other cards. Some people feel that by cutting them, it refocuses the clock.
- Force a clock-first layout. Navigate to Settings > Clock and Photo Display (or Clock) and select a clock face that you know will stick around. On some builds of the software, a long-press on the home screen also brings up an option for a clock-only view.
- Control with your Alexa app across multiple devices. In the Alexa app, tap Devices > Echo & Alexa > [Your Echo Show] > Home Content or Home Screen Background. Turn off the content you don’t want and make sure a clock-forward theme is on. If you run or manage multiple Shows, repeat this process for each one to keep them consistent.
- Check for updates. From the device, go to Settings > Device Options > Check for Software Updates. A few users say software updates or a complete reboot bring the clock back, but that change might not stick if proactive cards are still enabled.
How to change or cancel Alexa Plus to restore the clock
If the problem began when you turned on Alexa Plus, try changing those personalization features that relate to Plus, or switch off your subscription. You can cancel it through your Amazon account in Memberships and Subscriptions. Canceling, according to numerous user reports, immediately sent the Echo Show 5 back to a clean, clock-first home screen.
Remember this is account-scoped. If you own multiple Echo Shows in your home, updates to your Alexa Plus status or home content preferences might sync across all devices logged into the same profile.
The big picture for smart displays and bedside use
Amazon has claimed there are hundreds of millions of Alexa-enabled devices in the wild, and it is driving toward a more helpful, proactive form of AI. The challenge is balance. For lots of Echo Show owners — especially those who are using the Show 5 as a bedside sidekick — glanceability equals “always show the time,” not cards.
Short of Amazon providing a strict ‘only clock’ lock that overrides proactive content, your best bets are to prune Home Content, choose a persistent clock face on the Echo Show, and, if necessary, dial back Alexa Plus. For now, the lowest-tech way to retrieve the clock might be the most direct: shut off features that replaced it.