Amazon Launches Text Messaging Feature to Shop with Alexa

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Amazon introduces a new feature allowing U.S. customers to text Alexa to shop, using natural language to find, compare, and purchase items, with rollout expanding soon.

Amazon has launched a new feature enabling customers to interact with its Alexa AI assistant via text messages for shopping purposes. Announced in early November 2026, the service lets users send natural language queries to Alexa to search for products, add them to their cart, and complete purchases directly through text.

This rollout targets select U.S. users initially, who will receive invitations to enable the feature. Those without immediate access can join a waitlist as Amazon plans broader availability over the coming weeks. By integrating with Alexa’s recent shopping-focused enhancements, the text assistant can manage lists, monitor prices, search products across the web, compare options, and track order status.

Users can also share images of items or outfits to find visually similar products on Amazon, enhancing visual search capabilities. Amazon indicates the system will learn individual preferences over time, offering personalized shopping suggestions.

This development follows Amazon’s September move to block Meta’s AI shopping agent Muse from accessing its site, signaling Amazon’s push to maintain control over AI-driven shopping experiences. The feature's timing is strategic, debuting just ahead of the holiday shopping season.

Amazon joins other platforms investing in proprietary AI shopping agents amid growing consumer interest in AI-driven interaction. For example, delivery service DoorDash has shifted focus to refining its own text-based ordering assistant after limited use by third-party AI agents.

Amazon’s new text-to-shop Alexa feature represents a significant step toward more conversational, AI-guided consumer experiences within e-commerce.