Software
Amazon's Alexa app has been updated to reflect on the things consumers will need
Amazon's Alexa software on iOS, Android, and Fire OS is being revamped to concentrate on Alexa's main features rather than its third-party 'skills' or weather prediction, TechCrunch notes.
The home screen is where the greatest changes appear to have been made. Second, the button to activate Alexa is now displayed squarely at the top of the home screen, rather than at the bottom. Instead, instead of giving you a weather forecast and a list of suggested third-party abilities, the app will also present a personalized list of Alexa actions — ranging from setting alarms to playing recently played music, to having a shopping list — which will differ based on whether you use the device.
Furthermore, Alexa's third-party skills, which have formerly taken pride of place at the top of the home screen, have been moved to the "More" app page where they can now be found under "Abilities & Plays." TechCrunch reports that the popularity of these abilities appears to be small, and that they are yet to see a breakout success. Throughout the "Extra" segment, these capabilities are accompanied by other specialized features such as Reminders and Routines.
The latest concept comes after Amazon recently unveiled some exciting new features for Alexa on the smart phone.
Earlier this month, it revealed that you'll be able to call your voice assistant with only your voice (without pressing the blue button) as long as you have the Alexa app open, and last week it released a demo of a new functionality that lets Alexa launch iOS and Android applications. Amazon obviously wants Alexa to become a platform-agnostic alternative to Google Assistant and Siri, and the ios app is a vital part of making that possible.
Amazon says the updated app will roll out slowly in the next month and be available to all iOS , Android, and Fire OS customers by the end of August.
