Amazon’s Alexa+ to Integrate Expedia, Yelp in Major Push to Become an AI-Powered App Platform
Amazon's Alexa+ is adding integrations with Expedia, Yelp, Angi, and Square, launching in 2026. Discover how the AI assistant is evolving into a powerful app platform for booking and services.
Amazon is significantly expanding the capabilities of its AI-powered assistant, Alexa+, transforming it from a simple voice assistant into a comprehensive service platform. The company announced on Thursday that it's integrating four major services—Angi, Expedia, Square, and Yelp—with the new functionality set to launch in 2026. This move will allow customers to book hotels, get quotes for home services, and schedule salon appointments simply by conversing with Alexa.
Conversational Commerce Takes Center Stage
With these new integrations, users can engage in natural, back-and-forth conversations to complete complex tasks. For example, using the Expedia integration, a customer could say, “Can you find me pet-friendly hotels for this weekend in Chicago?” and receive personalized recommendations, compare options, and manage the booking all within the Alexa interface. The new services join an existing roster that includes Uber, OpenTable, and Ticketmaster.
According to Amazon, early testing with partners like Thumbtack has already shown “strong” engagement from Alexa+ users. This suggests a potential appetite for a more integrated, conversational way to interact with online services.
The Industry-Wide Race to Build the 'AI App Store'
Amazon's strategy mirrors a broader trend across the tech industry, where companies are testing AI assistants as next-generation app platforms. Much like how ChatGPT is integrating third-party apps into its chatbot, the goal is to create a centralized hub where users can access a multitude of services without ever leaving the AI environment.
This is more than a feature update; it's a strategic play for the future of the user interface. Amazon is leveraging its massive commerce backbone and device ecosystem to position Alexa as the primary 'intent layer'—the gateway between a user's need and its fulfillment. This move is a direct challenge to the traditional app store model dominated by Apple and Google, and a crucial test of whether convenience can finally break entrenched digital habits.
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