Amazon is testing a text-message interface for Alexa that can search for products and complete purchases. Selected US customers will receive an invitation to enable the feature, while others can join a waitlist. Amazon says access will expand to millions of users in the coming weeks.
Customers can describe what they want in natural language, add products to a cart and buy them without opening the Amazon app. The agent can also manage lists, track prices, compare products, check order status and search for similar items from a photo. Amazon says it will learn preferences over time and use them to make suggestions.
The launch arrives before the holiday shopping season and follows Amazon’s decision to block Meta’s Muse agent from querying its store. That contrast reflects a broader platform strategy: retailers want the convenience of conversational shopping, but they also want to own the customer interface and transaction data.
Amazon has not detailed safeguards for accidental purchases or how preference learning will be controlled. Those questions will matter as the agent moves from product discovery to actions that spend money.