Alexa+ Beginner tutorial

Beginner · step 1 of 7

What Alexa+ is (and isn't)

Alexa+ is Amazon’s newer, AI-powered Alexa. It holds natural conversations and can take actions such as planning, reminders, smart home control and shopping. Amazon says it is free and unlimited for Prime members and their whole household; without Prime you get limited free chat at Alexa.com and in the app, or full access for $19.99 a month. It is powered by Amazon Nova and Anthropic models and available in the U.S. (Amazon, updated 09/01/26).

Good for:

• Family reminders and shared lists
• Meal planning and shopping lists
• Smart home control by voice

Not good for:

• Medical or money decisions
• Voice purchasing without a code
• Private conversations near a device you forgot

Why this step matters: Knowing what it is good and bad at stops you using it for jobs where it will fail quietly.

Beginner · step 2 of 7

Get the official app

1. On an Echo device, say “Alexa, upgrade to Alexa+”.
2. Or use the official Alexa app, or Alexa.com in a browser.
3. Sign in with your Amazon account; Prime members get full access.

Why this step matters: Copycat apps and unofficial installers are common; starting from the official source protects your account and data.

Beginner · step 3 of 7

Your first useful prompt

Give it a situation, a task and the format you want. Try this:

Alexa, plan three easy dinners for this week for a family of four, one vegetarian, and add the ingredients to my shopping list.

Then ask one follow-up that narrows it down.

A good result: output in the format you asked for, built only on what you gave it. If it drifts into generic advice, add the situation sentence again.

Why this step matters: A prompt with situation, task and format gets a usable answer first time, so you learn what the tool can actually do.

Beginner · step 4 of 7

Check the answer

1. Ask for the source of any fact you'll reuse.
2. Open the link and find the exact sentence (Ctrl+F).
3. If you can't find it, treat the claim as unverified.
4. For files, check two page or row references yourself.

Before you answer: separate what you checked from what you're assuming. Write "unknown" instead of guessing. Give a link for every number.

Why this step matters: Chatbots state wrong facts in the same confident tone as right ones. Checking is the only way to tell them apart.

Beginner · step 5 of 7

Privacy basics

• Don't paste passwords, ID numbers, card numbers or other people's private details.
• Assume the company can read and keep your chats unless its official policy says otherwise.
• For health, money or legal decisions, confirm with a professional or an official source.
• Review voice recordings and privacy settings in the Alexa app.
• Turn on purchase confirmation (a voice code) so nobody can buy by voice.
• Remember everyone in the household can talk to it.

Why this step matters: Anything you paste may be stored and read. Deciding what never goes in is easier than undoing a leak.

Beginner · step 6 of 7

What it costs

• Prime members: free, unlimited, for the whole household.
• Without Prime: limited free chat at Alexa.com and in the app, or $19.99/month for full access.

Source: Amazon (aboutamazon.com), updated 09/01/26. Available in the U.S.; a search snippet mentioned Canada, which we couldn’t confirm officially.

Full details: Alexa+ step-by-step tutorial.

Why this step matters: Paying for features you don't use is the most common waste. Knowing the limits first tells you if the free tier is enough.

Beginner · step 7 of 7

Your first week

1. Day 1: three real tasks from your week.
2. Day 3: compare its results with what you'd have done yourself.
3. Day 7: decide if it's worth paying, based on what you actually used.

Why this step matters: A week of real tasks gives you evidence for whether it saves time, instead of a first impression.