Amazon Gives Alexa A New Widget On iOS, Here’s What To Expect

It’s a known thing for anyone who uses Alexa regularly that Amazon’s assistant isn’t as easy to use on smartphones as it is on Alexa smart speakers. But that is about to change for iPhone users. A new Ask Alexa widget for iPhone makes accessing Amazon’s assistant much easier than you think. Recently Amazon released this much-anticipated feature with the latest update. This update allows iPhone users to add the widget to the home screen of their phones.

With this updated feature users can talk to Alexa with just the click of a button. It also allows one to do much more like interaction with Amazon, one can perform things like placing an order, requesting for the latest weather report, news, jokes, call for help, tips, or even to activate a skill, etc. Many agree that the biggest fill-in on the iOS 14 feature is how users can add and use the ”Ask Alexa” widget to the home screen.

In other to get this feature working for you, make sure your iPhone runs on iOS 14 or the latest versions of the iOS. Also be sure to have an Amazon ID, to get that you need to search and download the Amazon Alexa App from the iOS store. If you are using a lesser version, then you need to update the Amazon Alexa app, then search for the Alexa widget and add it to your home screen. Once it’s done, you only need to click it and the personal assistant will start listening to you. According to a post on Amazon for Alexa’s Monthly Roundup for July 2021, this feature can also be added to your device’s home screen by, long-press on an empty area until the apps jiggle, tap the add button in the upper left corner, and then select the Ask Alexa widget.

Although it’s a really simple tweak for users, who can choose whether to use it or not. However it’s very helpful to know the weather, the battery level on all your connected devices, remind specific members of your household to-do tasks through a new “assign reminders” skill, and much more. Amazon Alexa is one of the many apps that are fully integrated with the widgets on the home screen, like Carrot Weather, Authenticator, and Next.

With iOS 15, which is set to be released soon, Apple is also adding a handful of new and interesting widgets for stock applications. Widgets to expect include;

Find My widget – This widget helps to keep track of your friends and personal items right from the Home Screen with the Find My widget.

Contacts widget – Helps with staying connected to family and friends from your Home Screen. With Family Sharing, you can take additional actions, like approving purchases or Screen Time requests from your kids.

Game Center widgets – The Continue Playing widget displays your recently played Game Center–enabled games across devices. The Friends Are Playing widget helps you discover the games your friends play.

App Store widget – See the stories, collections, and in‑app events from your Today tab right on your Home Screen.

Sleep widget – See data about how you slept and review your sleep schedule with the Sleep widget.

Mail widget – Glance at your latest email and get quick access to one of your mailboxes with the Mail widget. In addition to the new widgets when you update, Apple says a new default layout with widgets from the apps you use most arranged in Smart Stacks would be seen.