Amazon finally added a call blocking feature to the Echo

When Amazon introduced voice calling and messaging for its smart speaker Echo in May, users were quick to point out that it was missing one key feature: blocking.

Now Amazon is finally addressing those concerns. In the latest update to the Alexa app, the company finally added a way to block contacts from calling and messaging your Echo.

The new block feature was first spotted by The Verge and should offer additional security for Echo users.

With voice calling, anyone with access to your phone number could call or leave a message on your Echo. Every platform that enables people to contact each other tends to see abuse, and a feature like calling is prone to such abuse, as well as spam.

Now, with the new update, Echo users can "block contacts from calling or messaging you," per a note on the Alexa App in the Apple App Store. The update has not yet arrived on Android or the web.

As of now, there's no easy way to turn off the feature altogether, doing so requires a phone call to customer service. But hopefully the new block feature will help users manage the calls and messages coming to their Echo.