GoKawiilAmazon is giving everyone in the US with eligible Fire TV devices free access to Alexa+. The company charges $20 per month for access to the AI-powered assistant on its own, though it has always been free for Prime subscribers. Now, you don't have to pay to use it at all. Compatible devices include current-generation Amazon Fire TV Sticks, Fire TV Cube, Amazon Ember smart TVs and other smart TVs with Alexa+ built in, such as those made by Hisense and Panasonic.
The company unveiled its upgraded Alexa experience in February this year after years of development. Unlike the old Alexa, which requires you to know keywords or key phrases for voice commands, Alexa+ can understand natural language. Instead of asking it to play a specific series, for instance, you can ask it for recommendations. You can say, "Show me historical dramas with strong female leads," and then refine it further by saying, "recommend me something newer." You can also ask it for context about what you're watching, such as asking it to tell you about an actor's filmography.
If you have other smart home devices, you can talk to Alexa+ to control them. You can tell Alexa to show you the front door to bring up footage from the camera in front of your home on your connected TV, or to lock the door if you have a smart lock. According to the company, users talk to Alexa+ almost twice as much as they did with the old Alexa, because it can understand conversational questions and requests.
Amazon says it could bring free Alexa+ to more devices and regions in the future. While free access to the assistant is currently limited to US customers, Alexa+ is also available in the UK, Canada, Mexico, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Brazil and France. The company plans to roll out the AI assistant to more countries this year and to 10 further regions in 2027.