AN OLD ECHO DOT, NOW WITHOUT AMAZON
A 2nd generation Echo Dot (2016) with Amazon's software replaced: no Amazon account, no Alexa, just a voice satellite for your own Home Assistant.
HomeAutomation
- difficulty
- ●●●●○
- time
- not stated
- license
- MIT
- repo
- repo ACTIVE1,142 stars
●●●●○ · not stated · MIT · 1,142 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
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COMPAREE VERDICT
EchoMuse replaces Amazon's Android on a 2nd generation Echo Dot (2016) with emOS, a small Linux userspace that keeps only the Dot's kernel. The Dot then shows up in Home Assistant as an ordinary ESPHome voice satellite; the microphones, speaker, LED ring and buttons all work, and each Dot becomes a media player with timers, announcements and custom wake words. You unlock it once over USB with R0rt1z2's amonet-biscuit from a Linux computer (a live USB works, macOS does not), with a micro-USB cable and Chrome or Edge for the setup wizard. Normally there is no opening or soldering; only recovering from a hard brick needs the case open. You do it at your own risk. A controller runs on your network as a Home Assistant add-on or Docker container. Home Assistant does the speech recognition, understanding and voice, so it is fully without cloud only if you use local Whisper and Piper. It is for people who already run Home Assistant. Context: in March 2025 Amazon removed the Do Not Send Voice Recordings option, but only for the Echo Dot 4th gen and Echo Show 10 and 15.
IN THE REPO
GOOD TO KNOW
- —Firmware, controller software and emOS userspace are in the repository.
- —A setup wizard in the dashboard talks to the Dot over USB from Chrome or Edge.
- —Documentation covers quickstart, rooting, configuration, FAQ and the voice pipeline.
- —No BOM: you need a 2nd gen Echo Dot (2016), a micro-USB cable and a Linux computer for the one-time unlock.
- —MIT licence; third-party components keep their own licences (NOTICE.md). Not affiliated with Amazon.
- —The unlock uses R0rt1z2's amonet-biscuit, a separate project documented on XDA.
Parts to buy
3 itemsFrom our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Videos
Turning an Echo Dot into a Local Home Assistant Voice Satellite — EchoMuse
Video by Cameron Gray covering hardware, unlocking, install, voice satellite setup and a demo. The README has no official video yet.
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Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the quickstart (Walks through the unlock, controller setup and wizard. Start here.)
- 2.Understand the unlock (Explains the unlock process and which amonet version to use (v1.1.0 for FireOS 5, v2.0.0 for FireOS 6). Read this before you plug in the Dot.)
- 3.Check the XDA thread (The unlock tool's home. If something goes wrong, recovery steps are here.)
- 4.Install the controller (As a Home Assistant add-on or with Docker. The README has the Docker Compose commands.)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
KNOWN ISSUES
- Only the 2nd generation Echo Dot (2016) works. Ports to the Dot 3, Echo 2 and Show 8 are in progress but not ready.
- The unlock does not run on macOS. You need a Linux computer or a live USB.
- If an unlock step goes wrong, the Dot can end up soft-bricked (the XDA thread covers recovery); recovering a hard brick requires opening the case. At your own risk.
- Unplugging the 3.5mm jack can stall the microphone for about 30 seconds (issues #117 and #141).
- emOS on FireOS 6 cannot join WPA3 networks. Use WPA2 (issue #536).
- An announcement during a ringing timer can't be heard (issue #373).
- Privacy depends on your Home Assistant pipeline. Only local Whisper and Piper keep it fully local.
Does this work with other Echo models?
No, only the Echo Dot 2nd gen (2016) works today. The README says ports to the Echo Dot 3, Echo 2 and Echo Show 8 are in progress with community help.
Can I do the unlock from a Mac?
Not from macOS. The README says the unlock needs a Linux computer; a live USB works.
Is my voice data still sent to Amazon?
There is no Amazon account and no Alexa. After the wake word, your voice goes to the controller on your network and on to Home Assistant. Where it goes after that depends on your Assist pipeline: fully local only if you use local Whisper and Piper, otherwise to the cloud service you chose.
What happens if the unlock fails?
The README says a failed step can leave the Dot soft-bricked and the XDA thread covers recovery. Recovering from a hard brick requires opening the case. You do the unlock at your own risk.
Can I restore the Dot to Amazon's software?
With emOS, the wizard keeps a copy of your original boot image, and the README says restoring it takes about ten seconds.
Does the mute button physically disconnect the microphones?
No. It is a software mute: the microphones are silenced in the audio chip, but the Dot 2 has no hardware switch.
Community builds
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Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
Do you still have an old Echo Dot in a drawer? Would you rather have it answer to your own Home Assistant than to Amazon?
wilbowes (EchoMuse)
EchoMuse is written largely with Claude, Anthropic's AI model, directed by the maintainer, and the README says so openly. The project credits R0rt1z2 for the amonet-biscuit unlock, Binozo for EchoGo and GoTinyAlsa, Dragon863 for EchoCLI, David Scripka for openWakeWord, and the Home Assistant and ESPHome voice stack. Video footage: Cameron Gray.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM7d ago
Practical notes from our verification: the project is in active development (last push 9 October 2026) and the README is open about known issues: the 3.5mm jack can stall the mic for about 30 seconds, emOS on FireOS 6 cannot join WPA3, and announcements during a ringing timer can be lost. The unlock tool (amonet-biscuit) is a separate project by R0rt1z2 on XDA; questions about EchoMuse itself belong in the project's GitHub issues. The mute button is a software mute, not a hardware switch. Wake word detection can run on the controller or on the Dot; the README describes both and the dashboard labels when a Dot streams its microphone to the controller on your LAN.