Amazon announced in August 2026 that its AI-powered assistant, Alexa+, will roll out automatically to all compatible Fire TV devices in the United States at no cost — regardless of whether users hold an Amazon Prime subscription.
The upgrade requires no app download or sign-up. Compatible devices include current-generation Amazon Fire TV Sticks, the Fire TV Cube, Amazon Ember smart TVs, and select third-party smart TVs with Alexa+ built in, such as those made by Hisense and Panasonic.
Alexa+ had previously cost $19.99 per month for non-Prime members and was initially limited to new Fire TV devices Amazon announced last fall. The expanded free rollout removes both the paywall and the device restriction.
The updated assistant adds conversational search, smart home controls, and AI-powered content recommendations. Rather than searching by title, users can request content by describing what they want — for example, “a top-rated thriller” or “a historical drama with a strong female lead.” Alexa+ can also display Ring camera feeds on the TV and help manage connected smart home devices.
Amazon says Alexa+ customers now have nearly twice as many conversations on Fire TV as they did with the original Alexa, which the company cites as a sign of increased engagement with the feature.
The move follows similar steps by other platform makers. Google rolled out its Gemini AI to Google TV earlier in 2026, replacing basic search with conversational features, and Roku upgraded its voice assistant to AI the previous year.
For Fire TV users, the upgrade is automatic — meaning the AI assistant will be active on compatible devices without any action required on their part.
Source: TechCrunch