Amazon announced that its AI-powered digital assistant, Alexa+, will gain four new app integrations starting in 2026, expanding the assistant’s functionality for consumers. The additions include Angi, Expedia, Square, and Yelp, enabling users to book hotels, get home service quotes, schedule salon appointments, and more.
With Expedia, for example, Alexa+ can compare, book, and manage hotel reservations, or provide personalized recommendations based on user preferences, such as pet-friendly accommodations for a specific weekend. These new services join existing integrations with Fodor, OpenTable, Suno, Ticketmaster, Thumbtack, and Uber.
The expanded capabilities allow users to interact with Alexa+ using natural language, refining requests through back-and-forth conversations. This model mirrors recent trends in AI platforms, such as ChatGPT’s in-app marketplace, where users connect and leverage apps directly through an AI interface.
Industry Shift Toward AI-Integrated Apps
Amazon noted that early adopters of Alexa+ have shown strong engagement, particularly with home and personal service providers like Thumbtack and Vagaro. The move reflects a broader industry trend of transforming AI assistants into platforms for app-based interactions, offering a unified, conversational interface for services traditionally accessed via web or mobile apps.
Success in this model will require AI providers to match or exceed the breadth of services offered by conventional app stores, while also recommending apps in contextually relevant ways without appearing intrusive. Providers must balance convenience with user experience to encourage adoption and make AI-mediated service interactions feel as easy, or easier, than traditional methods.
The Alexa+ update underscores Amazon’s strategy of embedding AI into daily routines, providing more seamless access to services while expanding the practical utility of its digital assistant across personal, travel, and lifestyle tasks.
