Amazon’s Alexa Plus, a significantly revamped voice assistant powered by generative AI, has surpassed one million participants in its Early Access program, with a broader rollout expected this summer.
According to Amazon spokesperson Eric Sveum, the number of users in the Early Access program has grown substantially from “hundreds of thousands” just one month prior. The rollout to customers with Echo smart speakers and displays commenced in late March 2025 and is accelerating. Sveum stated that Amazon plans to “make it even more broadly available over the summer.”
The measured rollout is attributed to Panos Panay’s focus on refining Alexa Plus before its full release. A profile of Panay in The Wall Street Journal highlighted his view that “getting Alexa+ right is critical because it will be released to millions of people who depend on the technology across multiple devices. It’s a very public rollout.” The initial delays were reportedly partly due to the complexities of integrating the new generative AI technology with the existing Alexa infrastructure.
When it reaches general availability, Alexa Plus will be available for a monthly subscription of $19.99. It will be offered free of charge to Amazon Prime members.
While a significant number of users are now experiencing Alexa Plus, several features demonstrated at the February launch event are not yet available in the Early Access program. These include specific controls for Fire TV, such as jumping to a favorite scene, hands-free ordering of groceries and Grubhub deliveries, scheduling spa visits, brainstorming gift ideas, setting personalized reminders and routines for families, creating personalized music on the fly, and accessing Alexa Plus through a web browser. The absence of browser access is particularly notable, as PCs represent a platform where Alexa has historically struggled to gain traction, a crucial area for competing with services like ChatGPT and Gemini.
Sveum indicated that these missing features “will ship over the coming weeks and months” and that “nearly 90 percent of announced features are live in Early Access.” Among the currently available features is the enhanced conversational capability, allowing for more natural and free-flowing interactions. Early Access users can also ask Alexa to remember specific details and recall information from documents they have provided, leveraging a new email address for Alexa.
Other live features in the Early Access program include calendar management, the ability to move music playback between rooms, booking Uber rides, finding event tickets, and sourcing assistance for tasks via Thumbtack. For smart home control, users can now create Alexa Routines using voice commands, control multiple smart devices simultaneously, and customize smart home widgets on Echo Show devices. Smart cooking timers are also functional within the Early Access build.
Amazon reports positive feedback from early users. Sveum shared, “A lot of customers are telling us they love having natural, free-flowing conversations with Alexa. It enables them to complete more complex requests like controlling multiple smart home devices at once, deep dive on music or trending topics.” He added, “We’re also getting lots of positive feedback about how easy and helpful it is to get things done — like coordinating calendars, making reservations, and taking care of weekly meal planning.”
While formal, in-depth reviews of Alexa Plus are not yet available, a USA Today columnist who gained access through the Early Access program expressed satisfaction and occasional impressiveness with the experience. Based on user comments on platforms like Reddit and Facebook, the general sentiment appears positive, with many users noting that Alexa Plus feels closer to conversational AI models like ChatGPT. Users particularly appreciate the assistant’s ability to remember and recall previous information shared during interactions.
However, initial user feedback also points to some limitations and potential bugs. Some users have reported issues with Alexa Plus being unable to access or control certain smart home devices that the previous version of Alexa could manage. For instance, one user noted they had to revert to the older Alexa for controlling their smart air fryer. Another user acknowledged the impressive capability of controlling multiple smart home devices simultaneously but highlighted issues with specific devices.
The transition to a more conversational and intuitive smart assistant presents challenges, particularly regarding precise smart home control. While traditional command-based voice assistants generally perform as expected if the command is understood, the potential for misinterpretation or unintended actions increases with more free-form conversational interactions. Amazon is expected to address these issues as the rollout progresses and gathers more user feedback.
