Amazon Makes Alexa+ Free to Use on Compatible Fire TV Devices

Amazon is making its next-gen Alexa+ assistant free to use on compatible Fire TV devices in the US. That includes current-gen Amazon Fire TV Sticks, the Fire TV Cube, Amazon Ember smart TVs, plus other smart TVs from Hisense and Panasonic with Alexa+ built in.

The US was the first market where Alexa+ went out of early access earlier this year, but accessing the new assistant requires a Prime membership or an Alexa+ Standard plan ($19.99/month). However, starting today, US customers with eligible Fire TV devices will be automatically upgraded to the new Alexa+ experience for free.

Alexa+ on Fire TV enables a new conversational search experience, and it’s also designed to learn users’ preferences over time. The new assistant also lets users automate household smart devices, access live Ring camera feeds, as well as specific camera moments without interrupting what they’re watching.

“Alexa+ customers have nearly twice as many conversations on Fire TV as they did with the original Alexa because Alexa+ understands what they’re asking—and gives them useful answers back,” Amazon said today. “Rather than having to scroll through the seemingly endless amount of content available today, Alexa+ has helped customers quickly find tens of millions of movies, shows, and sports content they want to watch all through natural conversation.”

Alexa+ will be rolling out gradually to all Fire TV customers in the US with eligible devices, and Amazon said that it’s planning to add support for more devices and regions over time. Making the new assistant free to use on Fire TV devices is the right move for Amazon, as Google’s new Gemini for TV experience also doesn’t require a subscription.