6 new features in the redesigned Alexa app that make it easier to manage your smart home

Favourites are now easily accessible on the Home page, giving you quick access to your most-used devices and features like your shopping or to-do Lists, and recently played music. Device types supported by Favourites include Echos, lights, plugs, switches, shopping and to do lists, and media, with more to come.

A new Shortcuts bar on the Home page organises devices by category, and shows popular Alexa features like shopping lists, alarms, and Routines. You can customise what you see in the rotating carousel at the top of the Home page. Plus, you can now see the state of your connected devices—like how many lights are on or the temperature in your living room—directly from Shortcuts. These device state updates are available if you have 20 or fewer devices, and will expand to customers with additional devices in the coming months.

Activity cards show time-sensitive information, such as timers, upcoming alarms, or reminders you’ve set. These are now stacked so they are easy to find but no longer take up as much space on the Home page.

Family friendly Alexa skills you need to try

This week we launched over 400 new skills, suitable for children, into the Australia and New Zealand Alexa skill store.

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If you subscribe to Ring Protect, you will soon be able to view up to six snapshots from your connected Ring cameras directly from the Home page under Favourites.

We’ve streamlined the ability to talk to or type to chat with Alexa in a single location in the Alexa app. Just tap the blue chat indicator on any page of the Alexa app to bring up a holistic chat experience, see full-screen visual responses, and get suggested conversation prompts.

The Devices page now lets you filter content by device type, sort devices by newest, oldest, or alphabetically, and search for devices by name or key words.