Alexa Plus already came online to some users earlier this month, and now it’s officially available to everyone through an early access program. Anyone can register on the website Alexa.com and start playing with the fresh web interface of Amazon’s fresh AI chatbot.
Alexa Plus was already available on all fresh Echo devices and was recently introduced as an update to older Echo devices. However, some tasks are simply easier to accomplish with a keyboard and mouse than with voice. Now you can access Alexa while sitting at your laptop to update your to-do list or make a reservation at a fresh place Puerto Rican place which recently opened.
One huge advantage is the ability to upload documents, emails, and even photos to Alexa Plus via the website and retrieve significant information through it. Recipes can become grocery lists, vet bills, rabies vaccination lists, and kids’ little league schedules can be automatically added to your calendar.
Of course, Amazon is also talking about broader integrations, such as generating meal plans and automatically filling your Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods cart with groceries – even while adhering to dietary restrictions. It also gives you access to shrewd home devices like lights, locks, and doorbell cameras right next to chatting with Alexa. While theoretically the Google Gemini should have similar shrewd home features, I can say from experience that they are not particularly reliable.
Our experience with Alexa Plus has been a bit rocky so far. So while it’s nice to see Amazon giving its newest AI assistant a vote of confidence, maybe double-check its work before trusting it to fill your cart with only vegan options.
Additionally, Alexa Plus gains entertainment features that should make you spend less time aimlessly scrolling through Prime Video. But also, just watching everything Alexa suggests and sends to your Fire TV is exactly the type of passive consumption that many are trying to break free from.
Amazon is also introducing a sidebar so you can easily employ your favorite Alexa features with just one click, so you don’t have to switch windows when you want to turn up the temperature. It is also launching a newly redesigned Alexa mobile app.