Amazon has officially announced Alexa+, a major upgrade to its virtual assistant that brings generative AI into the mix. The goal? To make Alexa feel more natural, proactive, and capable of handling complex tasks—whether it’s managing your smart home, making purchases, or summarizing documents.
The best part? If you’re an Amazon Prime member, Alexa+ is free. For non-members, it’ll cost $19.99 per month. The new assistant will start rolling out in the coming weeks, beginning with an early access program.
One of the biggest improvements with Alexa+ is how it interacts with users. Amazon says it’ll feel more like talking to a helpful friend rather than giving robotic, one-command-at-a-time instructions.
You’ll be able to speak casually, even using half-formed sentences, and Alexa+ should still understand what you mean. It also remembers past interactions, so if you ask it to “remind me about Sarah’s birthday,” you can follow up later with “Did I already buy a gift for Sarah?”—and Alexa+ will know what you’re talking about.
This shift to conversational AI is a big deal, as voice assistants have historically struggled with natural back-and-forth dialogue. Whether Alexa+ can deliver on that promise in real-world use remains to be seen.
Amazon is introducing “agentic capabilities”, meaning Alexa+ can handle tasks on its own instead of just offering suggestions.
For example, if your oven breaks, Alexa+ won’t just list repair services—it can search for one, book the appointment, and confirm it for you. You won’t have to monitor every step.
This extends to everyday tasks, too. Need a dinner reservation? Alexa+ can book a table via OpenTable. Want groceries? It can order them from Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods. Looking for concert tickets? Alexa+ will track availability and let you know when they go on sale.
Alexa has always been a smart home hub, but Alexa+ is designed to take it a step further. It works with thousands of smart devices, from Philips Hue lights to Sonos speakers. Instead of manually setting routines, Alexa+ can suggest automations based on your habits.
For example, if you usually dim the lights and turn on relaxing music at 10 p.m., Alexa+ might recognize that pattern and offer to automate it for you. You can also move entertainment across devices. Watching The Boys on your Fire TV but want to switch rooms? Alexa+ can transfer playback seamlessly.
On Echo Show devices, Alexa+ can analyze photos, read handwritten notes, and summarize documents.
Amazon demonstrated this with a housing association document—Alexa+ could scan the file and break down the rules about solar panels in an easy-to-understand summary.
You can also upload pictures of event schedules, study materials, or handwritten notes, and Alexa+ can turn that information into calendar reminders, quizzes, or organized summaries.
Alexa+ also steps up its entertainment game.
Alexa+ isn’t limited to Echo speakers. It will also be available on phones, tablets, and desktops via:
This means you can start a conversation with Alexa+ on your smart speaker, continue it on your phone, and later pick it up on your laptop—without losing context.
With all this added intelligence, Alexa+ also raises privacy concerns. Amazon says it’s built with security in mind and offers a privacy dashboard where you can manage what data Alexa+ stores.
However, Alexa+ remembers personal details—like your favorite foods, recent purchases, and household routines—to personalize responses. While this makes interactions more seamless, it also means Amazon is collecting more data than ever.
For those wary of AI assistants knowing too much, this could be a sticking point.
Amazon is entering a tough race. Other AI assistants—like Google Gemini, Apple Siri, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT—are also evolving, and Alexa+ will have to prove it’s not just catching up.
Unlike chatbots that live on websites and apps, Amazon is focusing on AI in physical devices, which could give Alexa+ an edge in the smart home and voice assistant market.
Alexa+ is free for Amazon Prime members and costs $19.99 per month for non-Prime users. The public preview will start with users who own Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21 devices, with wider availability rolling out over the next few months.
