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Amazon is rolling out its next-generation Artificial Intelligent (AI) assistant, Alexa+, to all compatible Fire TV devices — and it won't cost a penny extra.
Alexa+ launched in the UK back in March. It's an optional, paid-for boost to Amazon's chatty voice assistant designed to handle open-ended questions and multiple requests at the same time.
While Alexa has always been able to help you find a particular show, film, sports fixture, game or app, director or actor on Fire TV, the upgrade to Alexa+ is ideal if you've ever struggled to know what to watch.
With its new ChatGPT-like smarts, talking Alexa+ is designed to feel like talking to a friend who knows their films and television, rather than typing into a search bar. So, instead of saying the exact name of a film, you can ask something like "recommend me a top-rated thriller" and then narrow it down with "something newer" or "with a female lead" — all without starting your search from scratch.
An Alexa+ standalone subscription costs £19.99 per month, but you can access it for free as a Prime member. On Fire TV devices, the deal is even better now, where you can get Alexa+ at no extra cost, even without a Prime subscription.
The catch? Britons aren't able to access this upgrade at no additional cost quite yet. It's only available in the US for now.
There are several features that have been added without paying extra in the US.
For instance, you can pull up a live Ring camera feed on your telly just by saying "Alexa, show the front door."
If you prefer to dim the lights for movie night, all you have to do is just ask, and compatible devices will adjust automatically. You can also lock your front door with a quick voice command.
And it's not only your home controls that have been upgraded.
You're able to check the weather, ask for a recipe, get sports scores, or set timers — all hands-free while you're watching.
There's no app to download, no subscription to sign up for, and it doesn't matter whether you're a Prime member or not — eligible Fire TV owners are automatically switched over to the Alexa+ experience.
However, a Prime membership or Alexa+ Standard Plan does unlock extra perks, including Alexa Routines, specific Ring camera moments, and advanced Home Modes for automating your smart devices.
Alexa Routines lets you set up a series of actions that happen automatically with one command or trigger. For example, saying “Alexa, good morning” could turn on your lights, tell you the weather, read your calendar, and start the coffee maker.
Alexa+ can work with compatible Ring cameras on Specific Ring camera moments with a subscription, too. This lets you surface or respond to particular moments captured by your cameras. For example, you could ask Alexa about activity detected at your front door rather than having to manually search through camera footage.
Advanced Home Modes will let you create more sophisticated smart-home setups for different situations, such as Home, Away or Night. A mode could automatically lock your doors, adjust the thermostat, turn off lights, or activate compatible security devices when you leave.
If you don't have a Fire TV, Alexa+ is also available on other devices like Echo and Fire TV Sticks.
It's also meant to expand to your other smart home devices with new features from brands like Bosch, Whirlpool, iRobot, and Eufy. While they already work with Alexa, a new AI-powered developer toolkit lets manufacturers expose more of the built-in features to the chatty assistant.
Previously, you had to give precise commands via Alexa Skills installed for each device, such as "Alexa, ask Roomba to start vacuuming" or “Alexa, change [Light Name] to the colour blue.”
But with expanded capabilities, you can make more natural requests, such as “Clean the kitchen before my guests arrive” or “Wash these muddy clothes but make sure they don’t shrink.”
Alexa+ can now be used directly in your web browser via alexa.com. That means you don't need one of Amazon's home devices, such as an Echo speaker, or even the mobile app, to chat with it.
This is a fundamental shift from the classic command-and-response model that we've all become accustomed to over the last decade, since Alexa arrived on UK shores, into a more intuitive, conversational experience. You won't need to learn how to speak to Alexa anymore... the chatty AI should be able to understand whatever you're asking.
Amazon wrote in a blog post: "People are finding incredible value in how AI can help in every aspect of their day, and to truly serve as a personal assistant, Alexa+ needs to be available wherever they are — at home, on their phone, and now on the web."
There are no browser-specific features with Alexa+ that you can't already access from your Echo or app, but it helps to have another outlet to access for convenience.






