Amazon Adds Text Messaging To Alexa Shopping
Select US customers can now text Alexa to find, compare and buy products, with a wider rollout planned in the coming weeks.
Amazon is introducing a way for customers to shop by texting Alexa. The company is inviting a small group of US customers to try the feature now, with broader access planned in the coming weeks, according to TechCrunch and The Verge. Customers can describe what they need or send a photo, then use the conversation to find products and make purchases on Amazon.
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How shopping by text works
Customers with access will receive a text inviting them to enable the feature. The Verge says the conversation will appear on their phones under the contact name “Amazon Alexa.” Those who are not invited can join a waitlist, according to TechCrunch.
Users can send natural-language requests rather than searching through listings themselves. Alexa can return product recommendations, compare options, add items to a cart and place orders, TechCrunch reports. The Verge says requests can range from a weekly grocery order to gift suggestions. A customer can also send a picture of an item—or, according to TechCrunch, an outfit someone is wearing—to look for similar products on Amazon.
More than a product search
The texting feature extends Alexa’s existing shopping capabilities. TechCrunch says the assistant can manage lists, monitor prices, check order status and search for items across the web. The Verge reports that it can text customers when a watched item goes on sale.
Both outlets say Alexa is intended to tailor recommendations as it learns a customer’s preferences over time. The Verge gives the example of someone who regularly asks for vegan products: Alexa could take that preference into account in later suggestions. The Verge says Alexa for Shopping first launched in May, with texting now offering another way to use it when opening an app or website is less convenient.
Why Amazon is adding the channel
The launch puts Amazon’s own shopping assistant into text messaging, a channel other companies are also using for AI agents. TechCrunch notes that Amazon blocked Meta’s Muse from querying its site in September. Both outlets point to DoorDash’s text-based ordering assistant, introduced in September; The Verge also reports that OpenAI added texting for its Dot agent last month.
For now, availability is limited to invited US customers. TechCrunch says Amazon plans a broader rollout in the coming weeks, while The Verge, citing Amazon’s announcement, says the company expects to extend access to millions more customers over that period. Neither report describes an availability plan outside the US.
Sources
This story was compiled by AI from the reports below. Read the originals for the full details.