Amazon rolling out Alexa to its Android shopping app

Back in March, Amazon added Alexa to its shopping app on iOS devices. Now, the company has started rolling out its popular digital assistant to the Amazon app on Android as well.

A Twitter user by the name of Nick Schwab posted the news after he had received a notification in the Alexa app on his device saying that the digital assistant is now also available in the Amazon app.

Amazon hasn’t made an official announcement yet, but the company did confirm to TechCrunch that the integration is rolling out this week. Some of you may already have it, while others will get it over the next few days.

If bringing Alexa to the Amazon shopping app seems strange to you is because it is. Well, at least in some ways. You’ll be able to ask the assistant what the weather is like, to play you a certain song, and to give you an answer to any questions you might have. Although these are all great features, they aren’t exactly what most shoppers need when looking for a present for a loved one online, for example.

The Alexa integration doesn’t add a lot of value to users, as it doesn’t make the shopping experience a lot better. The reason why the company is bringing it to the app is likely just for promotional reasons. Amazon wants to take advantage of its large user base and show off exactly what Alexa can do. That way, those who like what they see just might opt for one of the Alexa-powered speakers like the Echo.

Whether the strategy will work and help Amazon increase sales? That’s anyone’s guess at this point. It definitely doesn’t hurt, as the feature won’t get in your way in case you don’t want to use it. What do you think about Amazon bringing Alexa to its app? Do you see yourself using the digital assistant while shopping online? Let us know in the comments.