Amazon's Alexa assistant will soon be able to open Android and iOS apps using voice commands, thanks to a new feature called Alexa for Apps that Amazon is launching for app developers as of today.

alexamobileapps
With Alexa for Apps, iPhone and Android users can make requests using the Alexa app, Alexa built-in phones, or Alexa accessories like Echo Buds and interact directly with mobile apps similar to Siri or Google Assistant.

On iPhones and Android phones, Alexa would serve as an alternative to the voice assistants built into the smartphones by default, and Amazon envisions the feature being used for voice searches and activating app functionality.

For example, an ‌iPhone‌ user might ask Alexa to open Twitter and search for a specific hashtag. The skill will open up the Twitter app on the ‌iPhone‌ and then display a list of results that can be scrolled through rather than a voice response. Or, in TikTok, a user might ask Alexa to start a recording, which would then allow for hands-free video capture.


Alexa for Apps can be implemented into any app that can be opened with deep links, and Amazon says that the feature is being added to experiences for TikTok, Yellow Pages, Uber, Sonic, Zynga, Volley, and more.

According to Amazon, Alexa for Apps works in mobile apps with content that can be opened through deep links, and it can be utilized by adding Alexa for Apps to a custom skill, but developers will need to apply to the program to add the feature to their apps.

Amazon has several other Alexa-related announcements that it's sharing today as part of Alexa Live, a developer-focused Alexa event.

Tags: Alexa, Amazon

Top Rated Comments

Jimmy James Avatar
61 months ago

Alexa: I'd love to tell you how much better I am than Siri but I'm too busy sending your every word to Amazon.
Sums it up. Not worth using on basis of privacy.



Attachment Image
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
icanhazmac Avatar
61 months ago

“Alexa, why is Siri so crappy?!”
Alexa: I'd love to tell you how much better I am than Siri but I'm too busy sending your every word to Amazon.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stevez67 Avatar
61 months ago

Beating Siri is a VERY low bar for Alexa... I look forward to a voice assistant on my iPhone that does what I ask it.
I look forward to improved Siri performance, but not to another way for my data to be scraped for free to enrich Jeff B.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AZREOSpecialist Avatar
61 months ago
Not only is the usefulness of this "tech" questionable, the privacy one gives up to use this useless technology (that nobody asked for) is egregious. Not only that, but you are paying these companies to track, profile, and target you. Why on earth would anybody do that?

Wise up people!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
im2fast4u Avatar
61 months ago
“Alexa, why is Siri so crappy?!”
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NickName99 Avatar
61 months ago
Why would anyone install this on their iPhone? The only company worse than Amazon at privacy is Facebook. Even Siri can open apps reliably, even in iOS 13.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.4 With Sleep Alarm Update

Tuesday April 1, 2025 10:34 am PDT by
Apple today released watchOS 11.4, the fourth major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.4 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.4 can be downloaded on a connected iPhone by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software,...