Mod turns Echo Dot 3 into local Home Assistant voice satellite
Andy's Tech Labs rooted a 2018 Echo Dot 3 with help from Claude and replaced Amazon's firmware, so the device no longer sends data to Amazon.
A project by Andy's Tech Labs has turned a 2018 Amazon Echo Dot 3 into a voice satellite for the open-source Home Assistant platform by replacing Amazon's firmware, according to Hackaday.
The mod requires soldering a USB connection to the board to reach the device and install the replacement software. According to the project page, the modified Echo Dot 3 keeps its microphone processing and wake word engine but no longer sends data back to Amazon.
The firmware is described as working on several Echo models, including the Echo Dot 2nd gen, Echo 2nd gen, Echo Show 5 and the first and second gen Echo Show 8, and Echo Input. The Echo Dot 3rd gen (2019–2020) and the Echo Dot 3rd gen with clock are listed as incompatible.
The code and instructions are published on the Echo Dot Assist GitHub page. The project used Claude to work out how to root the Echo Dot.
In October 2025, Claude was also used to break into devices such as Samsung's Tizen OS on smart TVs.
Quick answers
Which Echo devices work with the Echo Dot Assist firmware?
According to the project page, the firmware works on the Echo Dot 2nd gen, Echo 2nd gen, Echo Show 5 and 8 first and second gen, and Echo Input. The Echo Dot 3rd gen (2019–2020) and the Echo Dot 3rd gen with clock do not work.
Where can I find the code and instructions?
The code and instructions are available on the Echo Dot Assist GitHub page.
Does the modified Echo Dot still send data to Amazon?
No. The device keeps its microphone processing and wake word engine but no longer sends data back to Amazon.