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Amazon takes another step towards bringing Alexa on par with Google Assistant

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By Cosmin Vasile

Published: Jul 23, 2020, 7:29 PM

Amazon takes another step towards bringing Alexa on par with Google Assistant

Amazon plans to make Alexa easier to trigger when used on a mobile phone, the company announced recently. In that regard, Amazon's engineers are now testing a new feature that lets users who make requests using the Alexa app, Alexa built-in phones, or Alexa mobile accessories like Echo Buds, to use their voice to interact with mobile apps.

More precisely, Amazon is working to bring the option to use voice to search, view information, and access any functionality inside an app to Alexa. Amazon is calling the project Alexa for Apps and says that it's easy to implement in various apps like TikTok, Yellow Pagers, Uber, Sonic, Zynga, Volley, and other apps.

One example offered by Amazon involves asking Alexa to do a search inside an app like Twitter and getting results about trends or mentions, and hear a voice response. Alexa for Apps will also open the Twitter app on the phone and show a list of results for users to peruse.

But things can be even more complex than that, as Alexa for Apps will offer users visual info and additional options when they use apps like Uber or SONIC. For example, if you're looking to order food, you'll not only get locations on the map, but also new menu items.

More importantly, users will be able to set a function in an app that would be automatically triggered with their voice with Alexa for Apps. It's a nifty feature that comes in handy if you can't use your hands.

Alexa for Apps will be available for free on both Android and iOS devices when it launches in the coming months. At the moment, developers can ask for early access to Alexa for Apps if they want to test the new skills or implement the functionality in their apps.

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Cosmin, a tech journalist with a career spanning over a decade, brought a wealth of experience to PhoneArena. His expertise lies in brands like Samsung and Nokia, and he has a keen interest in innovative technologies. After a brief stint in PR, Cosmin returned to tech journalism in 2016, committed to delivering clear and objective news. When he's not writing or appearing as a guest on TV and radio shows, Cosmin enjoys playing RPGs, watching Netflix, and nurturing his passion for history and travel.