Amazon’s Alexa Plus update integrates more smart-home brands via open standard

Amazon announced an update to its Alexa Plus assistant that expands its ability to handle more complicated, multi-step instructions across a broader range of smart-home devices. The update, currently in preview, enables Alexa Plus to connect with hardware from Bosch, Delta, Ecovacs, iRobot, Yale Home, Whirlpool, Tapo, Eufy, and others.

The integration is powered by Amazon’s new AI developer toolkit and the open-source Model Context Protocol (MCP), which allows AI models to connect to external systems and tools. This change is intended to make it easier for device makers—including those with unique capabilities—to integrate with Alexa Plus.

In a demonstration, Amazon showed how a user could ask Alexa Plus to clean a child’s soccer jersey using a supported washing machine, with the assistant navigating the washer’s cycle options and selecting the correct setting based on the garment’s care instructions.

Alexa Plus, which Amazon widely launched in February, already supports multi-step requests and routine creation using voice commands. However, its third-party integrations were previously limited to services such as Ticketmaster, OpenTable, Uber, Thumbtack, Expedia, Yelp, Square, and Angi.

Amazon stated that additional integrations with Canva, Headspace, Priceline, Lyft, Cengage, Virgin Atlantic, Weekend, and others are planned for later this year. For example, Priceline will enable users to browse and book hotel options directly through Alexa Plus, while Atom Tickets, Cengage, Fandango, and Taskrabbit will support payments via Amazon Wallet.