Amazon Rolls Out Alexa+ to All Users Across the United States

Amazon’s upgraded voice assistant Alexa+ is moving out of preview and into the mainstream, with broad availability across the US on Alexa-enabled devices, the Alexa app, and via Alexa.com. The new experience brings chatbot-style responses, richer reasoning, and task automation to the familiar “Alexa” wake word—without asking users to learn a new product.

What’s New With Alexa+: Chatbot Responses and Automation

Alexa+ layers large language model capabilities on top of the classic assistant so you can ask open-ended questions, get contextual follow-ups, and chain requests without repeating yourself. It’s designed to handle multi-step tasks—think finding a restaurant that fits specific constraints, making the reservation, and then arranging a ride—more like an agent than a static voice bot.

Under the hood, Amazon says Alexa+ runs on a new architecture that blends its in-house Nova models with models from Anthropic. The goal is a system that can parse complex prompts, plan actions, and tap into connected services and skills. In practice, this means fewer “I don’t know” replies and more helpful, on-topic results across voice and text.

How to Get Alexa+: Activation Options for Prime and Non-Prime

Prime members can activate the upgrade by saying “Alexa, upgrade to Alexa+” on any supported Echo or Fire TV device. You can also sign in at Alexa.com or use the Alexa app and follow the on-screen prompts to enable the new features. Once activated, the experience carries across your Alexa-enabled devices tied to the same account.

If you’re not a Prime member, you can subscribe to Alexa+ for $19.99 per month. The easiest route is to log in at Alexa.com, start a chat with the assistant, and you’ll see upgrade options. Not ready to pay? Non-subscribers can still sample Alexa+ in text-only mode on the web to get a feel for its reasoning and conversational style before committing.

Alexa+ Pricing and Availability for Prime and Non-Prime Users

Alexa+ is included at no extra cost for Prime members. For everyone else, the $19.99 monthly price puts it in line with other premium AI plans—OpenAI’s ChatGPT Plus is $20, while Google’s Gemini Advanced typically sits at a similar tier. Availability is rolling out across the US first, with support on Echo speakers and displays, Fire TV devices with voice, and the Alexa app.

Some Prime members received automatic upgrades during the Early Access period, a move that drew mixed reactions. With general availability, activation is now straightforward and clearly opt-in, and Amazon indicates the experience will continue to evolve as new skills and integrations come online.

Real-World Examples of Alexa+ Handling Complex Tasks

Ask “Plan a date night this Friday near me under $100, Italian food, and book a table for two,” and Alexa+ can narrow choices, confirm times, and place a reservation through compatible services. Say “I’m landing at 6 p.m., build a 30-minute grocery list based on a Mediterranean diet and schedule a pickup,” and it can assemble the list, check store hours, and set reminders, reducing the back-and-forth typical of older voice assistants.

For information queries, Alexa+ maintains context better than the classic assistant. You can start with “Explain the differences between Wi‑Fi 6E and Wi‑Fi 7” and then follow up with “Which is better for a small apartment with lots of smart bulbs?” without restating the whole question—an AI-driven improvement that mirrors modern chatbot behavior.

Why This Matters: Alexa Evolves Into a Conversational Helper

Voice assistants are being remade by generative AI, and Amazon’s move turns Alexa from a command-and-control tool into a more flexible conversational helper. Bundling Alexa+ with Prime could also strengthen retention for a subscription that, according to third-party research firms, already commands a sizable share of US households, while offering non-Prime users a clear paid path that matches broader AI market pricing.

Privacy and Controls: Managing Data and Third-Party Integrations

Alexa+ uses cloud-based AI, so the usual privacy tools matter. Amazon continues to offer options to review and delete voice history, auto-delete recordings, and mute microphones on Echo devices. It’s worth revisiting your Alexa privacy settings after upgrading to confirm retention periods and permissions, especially if you plan to use third-party services for bookings and purchases.

Getting the Best Alexa+ Experience: Tips for Better Results

For smooth agent-style tasks, link your calendars, default mapping and ride services, and any relevant skills inside the Alexa app. Clear, constraint-rich prompts tend to produce better results—include time windows, budgets, locations, and preferences. If you’re testing on the web first, try the same prompts by voice later to see how Alexa+ handles device-specific actions like starting timers, controlling lights, or playing media.

Bottom line: With Alexa+ now broadly available, Amazon is betting that a smarter, more capable assistant can make voice computing feel useful again. Prime members can switch it on at no extra cost, and everyone else can try before they buy—no new hardware required.