Amazon launches texting feature for Alexa shopping in U.S.
Amazon is rolling out a new texting capability that lets U.S. customers place orders with Alexa via text messages. Shoppers can describe products or attach photos, receive recommendations, add items to their cart and complete purchases, while the service learns preferences such as vegan options and tracks price drops. The feature starts with a limited invitation group and is set to reach millions of users in the weeks before the holiday shopping season.
Key facts
- The contact appears in phone lists as “Amazon Alexa”.
- The rollout follows Amazon’s September decision to block Meta’s Muse AI from its marketplace.
- Amazon previously lost a court order against Perplexity’s Comet shopping agent in August.
- Uninvited customers can join a waitlist for future access to the texting service.
- The feature enables product research, price comparison, deal tracking and order completion via messages.
Summarised with AI from 4 sourcesRead our AI policy
Why it matters
Adds a convenient, text‑based channel for e‑commerce ahead of peak shopping period.
What changed
First published from The Verge, CNA, TechCrunch and Engadget