Amazon is letting some U.S. customers shop by sending text messages to Alexa, moving its Alexa for Shopping AI agent beyond the app and website where it had been available.
The company calls texting the most convenient way yet to use the agent.
Access starts with a small, invitation-only group in the U.S. beginning Friday. A wider release is planned, though the timing has been described both as weeks and as months away.
People who want early access can sign up and link a phone number. Those accepted will find a contact called Alexa Shopping in their phone.
From a text thread, users can set up a weekly grocery order, have Alexa pull the ingredients from a recipe into their cart, hunt for a gift or quickly restock something running low.
Photos work too. Alexa scans Amazon's store for items matching a picture, replies with suggestions, and can put approved products in the cart and finish the purchase.
The agent also tracks deals. It can send a text when a price falls, show up to a year of pricing history, compare products and report where a delivery stands.
Shoppers can personalize their orders, such as limiting groceries to organic options, and Amazon says the recommendations should sharpen as the AI learns a person's habits and tastes. Requests made by text also show up in the Amazon Shopping app and on the website.
Through Shop Direct, Amazon's existing feature, the agent can help users browse and buy from outside websites. Amazon says Alexa makes purchases only with the user's approval.
The launch puts Amazon in a growing field of rival AI agents built to shop for consumers, including Meta Muse and Google Universal Cart, which can also track prices and complete purchases.
