AN OLD ECHO SHOW 8 WIPED OF FIRE OS AND ADS, NOW A HOME ASSISTANT PANEL
An old first-gen Echo Show 8 can drop Fire OS for Android and become a Home Assistant panel and music player.
by Rortiz2 (R0rt1z2) and the amazon-oss contributors
HomeAutomation
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WHAT YOU’LL NEED
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COMPAREE VERDICT
This is for people who already have a 2019 Echo Show 8 sitting around and want it to do more than Fire OS allows. The unlock uses the amonet exploit, and this thread is only for the first-generation Show 8 (codename crown); the 1st gen Show 5 has its own thread. The ROM is LineageOS 18.1 (Android 11), released as an experimental unofficial build: the camera does not work, SELinux is permissive, and there is no official LineageOS support. Once it is running you get an Android 11 smart display with a decent screen and speaker that can run Home Assistant, Music Assistant and normal Android apps, and it can even act as a Bluetooth speaker. The most likely thing to go wrong is interrupting the exploit after its 10-second grace period, which the thread says permanently bricks the device. Opening the case and shorting a test point can rescue only units made in 2019 or early 2020, and even then not always. If you have the right hardware and can follow the XDA guide carefully, this is a real second life for the device. If you are not ready to risk bricking it, this is not for you.
IN THE REPO
GOOD TO KNOW
- —The XDA thread provides the bootloader unlock (amonet exploit) and TWRP recovery for the 1st gen Echo Show 8 (2019, codename crown); LineageOS 18.1 builds are released on GitHub (amazon-oss/releases).
- —The 1st gen Echo Show 5 (2019) has a separate unlock thread.
- —The ROM is an experimental unofficial build; the camera does not work.
- —Interrupting the exploit can permanently brick the device; the test-point rescue works only on units from 2019 or early 2020.
- —The amonet exploit repository ships a GPL-2.0 licence file.
- —The ROM is actively updated: the latest build, v0.6, was released on 14 Oct 2026.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Videos
Why you NEED to Jailbreak your Amazon Echo.17:08
Shows an Echo Show 8 running Android with Home Assistant and Music Assistant after the unlock, published 22 Dec 2025. Not a step-by-step tutorial; the XDA thread is the build guide.
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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.Confirm you have a 1st gen Echo Show 8 from 2019 (codename crown). For a 1st gen Show 5, use its own XDA thread.(The thread names the model as C7H6N3. Check the model on the device or its box before you do anything else.)
- 2.Read the entire XDA thread, especially the first post and the important notes. (This is the primary guide. Once the exploit is past its 10-second grace period, interrupting it permanently bricks the device.)
- 3.Know your way back to Fire OS before you flash LineageOS. (Going back means flashing a stock Fire OS update in TWRP; the ROM thread links the stock packages.)
- 4.Download the latest amonet-crown package from the XDA thread and the LineageOS 18.1 build for crown from GitHub. (The unlock runs from a Windows or Linux computer; on Windows install the Kindle Fire or Google USB driver first. Then flash LineageOS from TWRP after wiping data, system and cache.)
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
- The unlock thread is only for the 1st gen Echo Show 8 from 2019 (crown). The 1st gen Show 5 has its own thread, and the LineageOS ROM supports only the 2019 Show 8. If you have a newer Show 8, stop now.
- Do not interrupt the exploit after the 10-second grace period: the thread warns that any interruption will permanently brick the device. Use a reliable MicroUSB data cable and keep the device on its AC charger.
- The camera does not work under Android. If you need the camera, this is not the solution.
- The ROM is an experimental, unofficial community build: SELinux is permissive (do not store sensitive data), deep sleep is disabled and the battery reading is fake.
- Home Assistant and Music Assistant both work, but you need to set them up separately — this is not a prebuilt smart home appliance.
- Recovery from a brick is not guaranteed. The test-point method (open the case and short TP30 to ground) works only on units from 2019 or early 2020, and the thread says most units lack this access, so a brick can be permanent. Never flash the bootloader or other critical partitions.
Does this work on the 2nd gen Echo Show 8?
No. The unlock thread is only for the 1st gen Echo Show 8 from 2019 (codename crown), and the LineageOS 18.1 ROM supports only that model. The 1st gen Echo Show 5 from 2019 has its own XDA thread; the 2nd gen Echo Show 8 is not supported.
Can I go back to Fire OS if I change my mind?
Yes. Since version 2.0.0 of the exploit, you go back by flashing a stock Fire OS update file through TWRP; the unlock thread and the ROM thread link the stock packages.
Does the camera work?
No, the camera does not work under Android on this device.
How stable is the ROM?
The ROM thread calls the build experimental. SELinux is permissive, so do not keep sensitive data on it, deep sleep is disabled and the system reports a fake battery at 100%. Builds have been released regularly; the latest, v0.6, came out on 14 Oct 2026.
Can I install the Google Play Store?
Not by default. LineageOS ships without Google apps; the video links the LineageOS GApps page, where you pick the package for version 18.1, ARM, and flash it in TWRP.
Community builds
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Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
Your 2019 Echo Show 8 becomes an Android 11 display with Home Assistant and Music Assistant, but no camera. If you still have one sitting around, what would you use it for?
Rortiz2 (R0rt1z2) and the amazon-oss contributors
The XDA unlock thread was started by Rortiz2 (R0rt1z2 on GitHub), building on the amonet exploit, with k4y0z, FieryFlames, bengris32 and TheVancedGamer credited as contributors. The LineageOS 18.1 port for the Echo Show 8 is posted by bengris32 and released through the amazon-oss GitHub organisation. Dammit Jeff (@dammit_jeff) showed his own Echo Show 8 running Home Assistant and Music Assistant.
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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.
CompareeTEAM3d ago
We checked the XDA unlock thread, the LineageOS ROM thread, the GitHub releases and the video. The thread is only for the 1st gen Show 8 from 2019 (crown), and the ROM supports only that model. The ROM is labelled experimental: the camera does not work and SELinux is permissive. The brick risk is real: interrupting the exploit after its grace period permanently bricks the device, and the test-point rescue works only on early units. The video shows Home Assistant and Music Assistant running, which is the whole point. Just make absolutely sure you have the right hardware before you start.