Alexa+ is the biggest-ever update to the voice assistant – here’s what’s coming

Alexa+ is a new subscription tier for the 10-year-old voice assistant and it’s just been announced at an event in New York. The update to the smart speaker assistant makes use of more generative AI to answer queries.

It will cost $19.99 in the US to begin with, though it will be free for Prime members. A wider rollout will take place “in waves over subsequent months” according to Amazon so expect it to come to the UK later as well as Amazon’s other key territories in 2025.

There will be a new mobile app for it, but it will also be available in the browser as well as on Amazon Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21.

Amazon says Alexa+ “helps you stay organized during busy days, provides detailed answers tailored to your needs, and handles everything from project planning to solving daily challenges—all through natural conversation.

Amazon Devices and Services senior vice president Panos Panay said at the launch event that “while the vision of Alexa has been ambitious and incredibly compelling, right until this moment, we have been limited by technology.”

Panay showed a re-designed user interface on Echo Show. Alexa+ introduces an adaptive display to the largest Echo screen devices, so you’ll see photos and personalised content from afar that transitions to a customized Home screen when you approach.

This new version of the devices’ proximity mode will give you a new For You panel with timely updates and smart home controls as well as access to your family calendar and music recommendations.

You can also use Alexa+ anywhere you want, from your favourite Echo devices and the Alexa mobile app to an all-new web browser experience. Alexa+ will remember the context of your conversations so that you can seamlessly pick up where you left off as you go about your day.

“She’s powered by gen AI. She’s smarter, conversational, personal. You can just get stuff done. She’s easy to talk to. You can have almost any conversation. She’s smarter than she’s ever been before but she’s also approachable which I think is so critical – that intimidation factor of AI is gone.

Panay continued: “She’s useful. She’s there to help you complete tasks. She can plan a date. But she can also book the restaurant. And text the babysitter. She can be your personal Shopper and find exactly what you’re looking for. She can research a trip. It’s quite cool [she] creates an itinerary. And then adds it to everybody in the family’s calendar. And she can read your study guides. Reason over them. And then test you on the answers.

“Maybe most important and I can’t emphasise this part enough. Alexa has a legacy,” continued Panay, saying Alexa has a legacy of 10 years of trust “and transparency with our customers. Those user controls will continue.”

Mara Segal, director for Alexa, added that the system will be able to store your preferences and important info for more personalised actions. It will be able to share documents and other information too – such as family recipes – and be able to recall information from these. Alexa+ will also be able to distill essential info from emails – such as informational emails from schools – and answer questions on this. Stories with Alexa and Explore with Alexa are new educational features coming to Amazon Kids+ subscribers.

Amazon’s ‘core aspects’ of Alexa+

1. Conversational: Alexa+ engages in natural, flowing conversations that feel genuine. It understands context and meaning, creating seamless interactions with no precise “Alexa” language.
2. Personalized: Alexa+ learns from you and the more you use it, the more personalized it gets— understanding everything from your favorite entertainment to your family’s dietary preferences, allergies, and weekly traditions.
3. Gets things done: Alexa+ acts on your behalf, handling everything from date planning and gift shopping to travel arrangements and study help. From simple tasks to complex projects, it provides assistance you can trust.
4. Even smarter: Alexa+ combines vast knowledge with an approachable personality, making generative AI feel natural and accessible. Helpful intelligence ready whenever and wherever you need it.

Some Alexa+ use cases

• Create new Routines by voice. Customers love setting up personalized automations with Alexa—also known as Routines—to get a helping hand throughout their day. With Alexa+, you can now set up complex Routines with a simple voice request, no app needed.
• Casually chat with Alexa+ to discover what to listen to next. With Alexa+ you cansearch for that song you heard during the credits of a TV show without knowing the artist or song title, or ask Alexa+ to help you discover new music within your favorite genre. Just ask Alexa+ to play the latest trending pop song and watch as it takes action.
• Move music from room to room. Seamlessly move your music around your home just by saying “play the music upstairs” or “play the music everywhere, but don’t wake the baby” and Alexa+ will know you mean to play on all speakers except those in the nursery.
• Jump to your favorite scene on Prime Video. Ask Alexa+ to jump to a specific scene in a movie on Prime Video without having to fast-forward just by using details like the actor or character’s name, or a quote. For example, just say “what’s that movie where Bradley Cooper sings a duet? Jump to that scene…” and it will play on your Fire TV.
• Get an overview of what’s happened around your home. With your Ring subscription,Alexa+ can provide a summary of detected camera events, and show you the relevant Ring footage across compatible Echo Show devices. So, if you had a package delivered or you had a dog walker stop by, Alexa+ can show you the highlights from the day. The experience will also integrate with Ring’s new Smart Video Search, allowing you to more easily find specific moments you care about. For example, you can ask Alexa+ specific questions like “Did someone take out the garbage bins?” or “When was the last time the dog went out for a walk?”