Amazon has recently announced the discontinuation of several services and features, indicating a strategic shift in its offerings.
Amazon Chime Discontinuation
Amazon will cease support for its unified communications service, Amazon Chime, on February 20, 2026. The service, which facilitated video calls, business calls, and chats, stopped accepting new customers on February 19, 2025. Existing users are encouraged to transition to alternative solutions such as AWS Wickr, Zoom, or Slack. The Chime SDK will continue to be available for developers. (reuters.com)
Inspire Feature Termination
Launched in 2022, Amazon’s Inspire feature—a TikTok-like feed showcasing shoppable photos and videos—has been discontinued as of February 18, 2025. This decision aligns with Amazon’s efforts to better cater to customer preferences. The company is now focusing on integrating shopping experiences with social media platforms and enhancing AI-driven shopping guides. (chainstoreage.com)
Changes to Kindle USB Download Functionality
Effective February 26, 2025, Amazon will discontinue the “Download & Transfer via USB” feature for Kindle devices. This change means users will no longer be able to download purchased digital books to their computers for USB transfer. Instead, content will be delivered exclusively to Wi-Fi-enabled devices. Users are advised to back up their favorite e-books before this feature is removed. (theverge.com)
These decisions reflect Amazon’s ongoing evaluation of its services to align with evolving customer needs and technological advancements.
