Amazon Adds Alexa to Android App

Alexa is coming to your phone.

On Friday, Amazon began offering the vocalism assistant to Android devices for free. Information technology will arrive as an update to the existing Alexa mobile app. Until now, the app acted as hub to set upwards, monitor, and command Alexa-powered devices, merely yous could non use it to speak to Alexa. That changes today on Android and on iOS soon.

"With this latest update, the Alexa app now helps customers remotely command their connected home, communicate with their family, heed to music, ask questions, access Alexa skills and more than, just by using their vocalism," the company said in an email.

Alexa Android Voice 2

But the update as well means anyone—including people who don't own Alexa-powered hardware—can likewise employ the voice assistant. Previously, Alexa was available only on certain phones such as the HTC U11 and the Huawei Mate 9 as a pre-loaded service.

Alexa functions like other virtual assistant software on smartphones. You only open the app, tap the blue circle icon, and speak out your request. It was capable of showing the states the atmospheric condition, looking up nearby restaurants, adding items into our Amazon shopping cart, and telling jokes.

The visitor said the update is rolling out in the coming days via the Amazon Appstore and Google Play.

Although Alexa is best known for running on Amazon's Echo devices, the company has been expanding its use across other products. Earlier this calendar month, Amazon said the voice banana is coming to PCs. The company has also launched a development kit to assistance vendors bring the technology to other mobile gadgets such as headphones, smartwatches, and fitness devices.