Technology giant Amazon has updated its Alexa app for iOS by adding a new feature. The feature is called Ask Alexa. Ask Alexa is one of the much-awaited features. It has added an Ask Alexa widget for the home screen. It will cut the steps required to talk to the personal assistant. Users can not talk to the virtual assistant with just one click. The new feature works on iOS 14 or higher versions. The company said that Ask Alexa will make it easier than ever to use the virtual assistant. Alex, which is based on AI technology, can have voice interaction. It can take verbal commands from users to perform certain tasks like playing music, set alarms, and more. It is also capable of providing real-time updates about a match or news.
Amazon said that users will have to update the Alexa app to start using the feature. Once updated, look for the Alexa widget. Now, add this to the home screen. When clicked, Alexa will start listening to the command. Notably, a home screen with widgets was added by Apple in 2020. The feature was brought with iOS 14. It was among the most popular features of iOS. The Ask Alexa widget will be helpful to users who use Amazon’s virtual assistant mostly to listen to radio stations, play music, set alarms, and control their smart home devices.
Meanwhile, Amazon has launched several new features to make Alexa smarter. For the developers, Amazon now allows them to create Widgets for their skills. It has also introduced a new form of monetization for them. The form is called Paid Skills. Customers require paying a fee one time in order to access the content. The company said that it working to expanded in-skill purchasing capabilities in the international market. According to Amazon, there are around one million registered developers. They have developed over 1.3 million Alexa skills. There are more than 140,000 smart home devices that Alexa can control.
