Amazon introduced Alexa Plus, a revamped digital assistant powered by generative AI, which began testing in July 2025 and is set for a full launch in February 2026. The author tested the system using various devices, including an Echo Show 11, Pops, Dots, a Show 15, and Show 8.
Alexa Plus currently manages tasks such as controlling smart home gadgets, setting timers and recipes, adding calendar entries, and placing grocery orders. Queries regarding the weather or general knowledge, alongside commands like setting a timer, now execute within a three to five second timeframe.
The system understood general instructions, such as when the author stated, “Alexa, make it brighter in here” and “Alexa, I’m cold.” Furthermore, the Ring security camera integration permits users to ask about the last delivery time for a package and view the associated video clip.
The author successfully sent a picture of a friend’s Dutch baby recipe from England to Alexa via the application. Alexa Plus can then retrieve a reformatted recipe and answer related queries, for instance, by addressing “What temperature should I preheat the oven?”
Users can now email and upload documents and photographs to Alexa Plus, and the assistant can import events directly into the calendar. By uploading ten screenshots of sewing supplies to the Alexa app, the author managed to add those items to the Amazon shopping cart.
The author adjusted the “Hallway bathroom light” routine to switch off after thirty minutes, changing the previous fifteen-minute setting. The biggest drawback noted by the author remains the experience within the Alexa application itself.
The author expressed a desire for Alexa Plus to handle smart home setup and troubleshooting without requiring manual interaction through the app. Display advertisements present a major concern associated with Alexa Plus.
Daniel Rausch, VP of Alexa & Echo at Amazon, stated, “When it’s done well, an ad should show up with something useful at just the right moment.”
