You can now text Alexa to search, compare and buy on Amazon

[Zane84]

Amazon wants you to shop by text message. TechCrunch reports that Amazon now lets users text Alexa in plain language to search for products, add them to a basket and buy them

Alexa can also track prices, compare products, check orders and find items from a photo. The feature is US only for now, with selected customers invited by text and others able to join a waitlist

The rollout will expand in the coming weeks, ahead of the holiday shopping season. US shoppers should see it more widely before Black Friday

It comes after Amazon blocked Meta's Muse agent from its website in September. DoorDash has said third party AI agents brought it only a few hundred orders

Texting is a natural way to shop for many people, especially for quick reorders or price checks. Keeping the shopping assistant inside its own service gives Amazon control while blocking rivals' agents. Price tracking could be the most useful feature during Black Friday

Would you shop by texting an assistant? And should Amazon let other companies' AI agents shop on its site?

After blocking Muse, Amazon now lets users text Alexa to help them shop | TechCrunchtechcrunch.com