Alexa Voice Interaction Comes To Apple iOS

To help users on iPhones and iPads use Alexa, Amazon has unveiled voice interaction for the popular voice assistant on its iOS Alexa app. Through the feature, users of Apple devices have an alternative to Siri, BGR reported.

With Alexa’s iOS functionality, consumers can manage connected home devices, ask questions or play music. In addition, Alexa can also help consumers find movies playing nearby – or even local restaurants. The app can also display information such as movie showtimes, calendar appointments, sports scores and weather forecasts.

Overall, BGR notes that Amazon sales are ahead of Apple and Google when it comes to digital assistants. In particular, Amazon has reportedly 75 percent of the market share of smart speakers, and the eCommerce giant has sought to bring Alexa to the platforms of other tech companies.

The news comes as Amazon’s Alexa can become a default assistant on Android smartphones. As a result, it could replace Google Assistant, according to multiple reports from May 7, which credited a Reddit user with noticing the change.

Android phone owners who have installed the Alexa app on their devices can press the home button on their devices to access it, according to CNET. Alexa cannot be activated by voice on the Android phones, but owners of those phones could employ the Microsoft Cortana virtual assistant. Alexa works on Google Pixel and Pixel 2, OnePlus 5, OnePlus One, Xperia, Moto G5 Plus, Essential Phone and Samsung Galaxy Note 8, S8 Plus and S9 devices, The Verge reported.

Just because Alexa has made it onto Android phones doesn’t mean the retailer’s virtual personal assistant and shopping helper will do much. The Verge described Alexa’s functionality as “limited” when used on Android devices. Alexa can do Google searches, but it “can’t pull up maps or make native calls.”