Amazon has rolled out a notable update for its Alexa app on iOS today. With this update, users can now use the Alexa virtual assistant directly from their iOS device to control smart home accessories, ask questions, and much more.
Today’s update for the Alexa app fulfills a promise Amazon made earlier this year, when it touted that iOS users would soon be able to access full voice control directly through the Alexa application. At launch, the feature was limited to Android.
Adding voice control to the Alexa app on iOS is part of Amazon’s long-term goal of making its virtual assistant available in as many different places as possible. Of course, the biggest issue with that strategy on iOS is that users must first navigate to the Alexa app to use voice control, rather than being able to simply say the “Alexa” trigger word.
This was to be expected, though, as no one ever thought Apple would allow Amazon to pit its Alexa assistant directly against Siri. It also significantly reduces the usefulness that a voice assistant is destined to provide.
Within the Amazon app, however, users can access the full wealth of Alexa features, including question and answer, smart home control, music playback, and much more. As TechCrunch notes:
From there, however, you can ask Alexa questions, listen to music, access skills and control smart devices — you know, the standard Alexa fare. Queries like weather, sports, calendar and movies will also offer up a visual component in the app.
The Amazon Alexa app is available as a free download on the App Store. Will you be using Alexa voice control from your iPhone? Let us know down in the comments!
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