Amazon is rolling out its upgraded AI assistant, Alexa+, to millions of compatible Fire TV devices across the United States at no additional cost. This automatic update enhances voice search capabilities, allows for more natural conversational interactions, and integrates smart home controls directly into the TV experience.
Users no longer need an Amazon Prime membership to access these features on their Fire TV devices, and no separate app or subscription activation is required for eligible devices. Alexa+ is designed to understand more nuanced commands and follow-up questions, moving beyond the more direct commands of its predecessor. Amazon reports that users are engaging in nearly twice as many conversations with Alexa+ on Fire TV compared to the original Alexa, and movie recommendations are chosen more than 40% more often.
Beyond entertainment, Alexa+ can interact with compatible smart home devices, display supported camera feeds, and answer general questions. For example, users can ask Alexa to "find a highly rated thriller from the last five years" and then follow up with "make it something funny instead." The system also supports jumping directly to specific scenes within thousands of supported Prime Video movies.
How users interact with Alexa+ depends on their Fire TV hardware. Fire TV Stick users typically press and hold the Alexa or microphone button on their remote, while current Fire TV Cube models feature built-in microphones for hands-free operation. Some smart TVs with Alexa integrated may also offer hands-free capabilities, depending on the model.
Privacy Considerations
The expansion of Alexa+ on Fire TV devices also brings privacy questions to the forefront. Fire TV devices equipped with hands-free microphones, such as the Fire TV Cube, use on-device wake-word detection. While audio is sent to Amazon's cloud for processing only after the wake word is detected, Amazon notes that this processing may include a brief period immediately preceding the wake word.
Users can physically disable microphones on hands-free enabled devices via a dedicated button or switch, which disconnects power to the microphones and is indicated by a red light. This allows users to retain voice command functionality through their remote's microphone button while disabling continuous listening. Additionally, Amazon's "Follow Up Mode," which allows for consecutive requests without repeating the wake word, can be disabled by saying, "Alexa, turn off Follow Up Mode," or through device settings.
Amazon provides tools within the Alexa app for users to review and manage their interaction history, including voice recordings and transcripts. Users can choose to delete this data or set up automatic deletion policies for voice recordings and smart home device history. However, Amazon notes that deleting history may affect personalization and certain Alexa features.
Fire TV devices also have separate privacy settings, accessible via Settings > Preferences > Privacy Settings. These settings allow users to control "Device Usage Data," which impacts customized marketing and product improvement, and "Collect App Usage Data," which relates to the collection of information about third-party app usage. Interest-based ads can also be reviewed and adjusted.
Subscription Details
While many Alexa+ features are available for free on compatible Fire TV devices, Amazon also offers a broader Alexa+ Standard Plan for $19.99 per month for non-Prime members. Prime members receive expanded Alexa+ features as part of their subscription. These premium tiers unlock additional capabilities such as Alexa Routines, specific Ring camera access, advanced Home Modes, and Alexa+ on compatible Echo devices.
For most Fire TV owners, the enhanced search and smart home control functionalities represent the most significant improvements. The automatic nature of the upgrade underscores the importance of understanding device capabilities and reviewing privacy settings to manage data collection preferences.