Amazon has launched Alexa Plus (Alexa+), a generative-AI upgrade to its voice assistant that promises more natural, contextual interactions.
Unlike prior versions of Alexa, Alexa+ can carry on longer conversations, remember personal preferences, and respond with emotional nuance. The conversational abilities with memory and emotional capabilities of Alexa+ are, similar to what users have become accustomed to with chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini.
What is Alexa+?
Amazon’s latest AI-powered assistant, Alexa+, is built on the Bedrock platform and harnesses multiple large language models (LLMs), including Amazon’s own Nova and models from partners like Anthropic.
This advanced framework enhances Alexa+’s ability to comprehend natural language, remember user preferences, and respond to emotion and converse with greater accuracy.
Amazon has launched Alexa+ (Alexa Plus), a generative‑AI upgrade to its voice assistant that aims for more natural, context-aware conversations. Unlike prior versions of Alexa, Alexa+ can hold longer dialogs, remember personal preferences, and even respond with emotional nuance — bringing it closer to the experience users expect from models like ChatGPT or Gemini.
It’s built to go beyond chores like setting timers or playing music; Alexa+ promises to coordinate multi-step tasks, summarize content, book services, and proactively assist across Amazon’s ecosystem.
Still, the rollout remains limited. Only selected Echo Show models currently support Alexa+, and it’s rolling out in waves to more devices. Some users report latency, errors in responses and feature gaps compared to what was announced.
Also worth noting: Amazon has begun embedding Alexa+ into newer hardware. Recent Echo Show models feature custom AI silicon (AZ3 Pro) to better handle the demands of generative interactions. And while Prime members get access bundled in, non‑Prime users may need to pay a subscription fee.
Alexa+ release date and cost
Alexa+ launched mid-2025 starting with Echo Show models 8, 10, 15, and the new Echo Show 21.
As part of the rollout, Amazon introduced a dedicated Alexa+ mobile app for users to communicate directly with Alexa+ even when away from home.
The service is priced at $19.99 per month for non-Prime members. However, Amazon Prime subscribers will have complimentary access to Alexa+, adding significant value to the existing Prime membership benefits.
Given that an Amazon Prime subscription currently costs $14.99 per month (or $139 annually), subscribing to Prime may be more economical for users interested in Alexa+.
Alexa+ devices
Although Echo Show 8, 10, 15 or 21 were part of the initial Alexa Plus rollout, it is now available on all Echo devices. These are the Echo devices that will support Alexa Plus with a voice-only experience:
Echo (second gen and later)
Echo Dot (and Echo Dot Kids) second-gen and later
Echo Spot (second gen)
Echo Show 5 (and Echo Show 5 Kids)
Echo Buds
Users can start a command on one Alexa-enabled device and continue it on another, ensuring a cohesive and flexible smart home experience. This feature is particularly useful for larger homes with multiple access points.
For more info, see our complete guide to Alexa+ devices.
Alexa+ Key Features
- Enhanced conversational abilities: Alexa+ now has the ability to engage in more fluid and context-aware conversations that are on par with similar AI assistants.
The AI understands and responds to users' emotional tones, making interactions feel more human-like and natural. For instance, Alexa+ can detect frustration in a user's voice and adjust its responses to provide comfort or solutions. - Personalized assistance: Alexa+ is capable of remembering, making it able to recall personal details such as dietary preferences, favorite activities, and frequently contacted individuals.
This personalization enables it to offer customized suggestions to its users, like suggesting recipes that align with dietary restrictions or reminding users of important events or even recommending a song. - Advanced task management: Alexa+ integrates with various services to perform complex tasks, including making reservations. Users can now book tables at restaurants through partnerships with platforms like OpenTable.
The AI assistant is also capable of adding events to users’ calendars, has the ability to do tasks such as purchasing concert tickets, and share news updates. Need groceries? Alexa+ can do that too. Simply add items to a shopping list then Alexa+ will place orders directly through services like GrubHub. - Enhanced home security: Home security is more advanced with Alexa+ as it integrates with various security devices to bolster home safety. Alexa+ collaborates with Ring camera systems to provide detailed insights and summaries of camera events.
The assistant can monitor unusual activities, such as unexpected motion or sounds, and alert homeowners promptly with real-time notifications and view live feeds directly through Alexa-enabled devices. - Advanced lighting control: Users can adjust the lighting in their home based on time of day, activity, or mood. For instance, Alexa+ can dim the lights for a movie night or brighten them in the morning to simulate natural sunlight.
With improved natural language understanding, Alexa+ allows users to control lighting with conversational commands. Phrases like "Alexa, set the living room lights to a cozy ambiance" are interpreted and executed seamlessly. - Appliance coordination: By learning user habits, Alexa+ can automate daily routines. For example, it can start the coffee maker in the morning, adjust the thermostat when users leave for work, or turn off unused devices to conserve energy.
Alexa+ can also provide insights into energy consumption patterns, offering suggestions to optimize usage and reduce utility bills. Users can receive reports and recommendations tailored to their household's energy habits. - Advanced media control: Alexa+ provides users with control over their media be it streaming music or video. Now users can jump to specific scenes in movies or episodes on platforms like Prime Video with simple voice commands, enhancing convenience and user experience.
With improved music discovery capabilities, Alexa+ allows users to find songs with minimal information. Users can recall a tune from a TV show or a few lyrics, and Alexa+ will identify and play the song, making music discovery effortless.
By integrating with music services such as Spotify, Alexa+ can generate personalized playlists based on user preferences, moods, or activities, offering a tailored listening experience.
Alexa+ Outlook
Amazon's introduction of Alexa+ signifies a strategic move to redefine the role of virtual assistants in daily life. By leveraging generative AI and expanding its ecosystem through partnerships, Alexa+ aims to provide a more personalized, efficient, and human-like interaction experience as it evens out the playing field with its competitors in the AI space.
As the service rolls out, users should ensure access to a compatible Echo Show device and active Amazon Prime membership to get the most cost-effective and comprehensive experience.
More from Tom's Guide
- Forget ChatGPT, Alexa+ is the only chatbot I actually use at home — here’s why
- I upgraded to Alexa+ for my busy family — here’s what it did surprisingly well
- I asked Amazon if it's making new Alexa+ glasses to rival Meta Ray-Ban Display — and I got a very interesting answer
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