Amazon revamps Alexa.com and updates its app

Amazon is refreshing its alexa.com website and updating the existing Alexa mobile app to integrate Alexa Plus, a new AI-powered version of its virtual assistant unveiled at an event this morning. The updated platforms will allow subscribers to access the enhanced assistant without needing a separate app, with the rollout beginning in the US in the coming weeks.

The event highlighted Alexa Plus’s advanced features, showcasing its ability to manage tasks like ordering groceries, controlling smart home devices, and checking home camera footage to confirm if the dog was walked. Amazon demoed how Alexa Plus can analyze and summarize documents, meaning the revamped alexa.com might facilitate document uploads, though details remain sparse. Unlike the standard Alexa, this version uses generative AI for more natural conversations.

Amazon clarified that no new app is required. Alexa Plus will be reached within the current Alexa app, so the app will be updated to support the upgrade. The alexa.com site, which earlier today linked to basic Alexa info, now redirects to a page about Alexa Plus.

The rollout timeline starts “in the next few weeks” in the US, followed by “waves in the coming months,” initially targeting Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21 devices. Pricing is set at $19.99 per month standalone or free with an Amazon Prime membership. You can also read which Echo devices are supported by Alexa Plus.

Alexa Plus runs on Amazon Nova and Anthropic’s Claude models, connecting to over 10,000 third-party services via new “Tool” APIs. Amazon’s X post called it “our smartest, most conversational, and personalized AI assistant to date,” with demos showing integrations like Amazon Fresh and Philips Hue. The updated alexa.com and current app will serve as key access points once the rollout begins, though no exact date beyond “next few weeks” was specified.