Skip to main content

Amazon’s Dash Wand shopping device is about to lose its magic

Amazon will end support for its Dash Wand device on July 21.

The online shopping giant launched the Dash Wand in 2014, allowing AmazonFresh shoppers to order food items by scanning bar codes on products that you have, but may run out of soon. If you didn’t have a bar code to scan, you could simply place an order by speaking into the Wand’s microphone. The second version, which launched in 2017, also answered any questions that you fired at it, with the replies spoken by Amazon’s digital assistant, Alexa.

Amazon recently sent out emails to warn current Wand users of the device’s imminent demise. In the message, it also encouraged people to dispose of it via Amazon’s recycling program.

The Dash Wand, which managed a 3/5 rating on Amazon’s website, landed a year before the Dash Button, a small Wi-Fi-connected device that linked to a particular household product such as laundry detergent or toilet paper. So when you saw that you were close to running out, you simply pressed the button to order more. But Amazon ended support for the Dash Button in 2019.

Why is the company ending support for the Dash Wand? For the same reason it stopped supporting the Dash Button. In recent years, the company has seen an increase in alternative ordering methods, mainly through Alexa-powered smart speakers. Its Dash Replenishment feature, which incorporates the technology into various household appliances, will also have also been a factor. In other words, it seems likely that few people are still using the Dash Wand to order their groceries, prompting Amazon to focus on existing offerings.

“Customers’ needs are largely being met by these services, so starting July 21st, Dash Wand devices will no longer be supported,” a company spokesperson told Digital Trends, adding, “We look forward to continuing to support customers via the Amazon app, and Alexa.”

Introducing Amazon Dash Wand with Alexa

Updated on June 22: Included the message from Amazon.

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Amazon eying October for another Prime shopping event, reports say
best amazon tech deals 5 25 2017 online tablet shopping

This year’s Prime Day sale starts on July 12, though new reports suggest Amazon is also planning another Prime shopping event for later in the year.

The e-commerce giant has been telling sellers about a “Prime Fall Deal Event,” according to reports from CNBC and Business Insider.

Read more
Amazon goes after two firms allegedly selling fake reviews
Amazon logo on the headquarters building.

With so many fake reviews plaguing online shopping sites these days, confirming the true quality of a product is as challenging as ever.

Amazon knows all too well that fake reviews dent the integrity of its site, with a growing number of shoppers unable to trust the opinions left by others about products they're considering buying.

Read more
Amazon is spending big in an effort to ensure timely holiday deliveries
couple con amazon out of tech goods boxes

Amazon says it expects to incur “several billion dollars” of additional costs this holiday season in order to ensure customers receive their orders on time.

Andy Jassy, who replaced Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as CEO of the company in July, said this week that the online shopping behemoth would be spending big to deal with “labor supply shortages, increased wage costs, global supply chain issues, and increased freight and shipping costs.” The spending is meant to ensure there is minimal impact on customers and selling partners in the coming months.

Read more