Amazon tests a 'brief mode' for when you want Alexa to just shut up

Love your Echo but think Alexa is just a little too chatty? Well, you're in luck.

Amazon is reducing the amount of time you have to spend listening to Alexa respond to commands, thanks to a new "brief mode."

When enabled, the feature replaces short responses, like "okay," with a simple beep. It appears to still be in a testing phase, as the brief mode setting isn't yet showing up for all users.

The feature was first spotted by Reddit users, who noted that Alexa began responding to simple commands with a short beep instead of the usual "okay." (We've reached out to Amazon for more information on the feature and will update when we hear back.)

It may sound like a small update, but it could make a big difference for people who rely on Alexa to control a lot of devices in their homes, and get tired of hearing a vocal response to each command.

It's similar to an earlier update, rolled out last week, that allows Alexa to respond to followup commands, so users don't have to use the wake word each time. Now, between that and the new brief mode, Echo owners should find that using Alexa feels a lot more natural.

h/t: AFTVnews