Amazon adds text messaging to its AI shopping assistant

Amazon is now allowing customers to place orders through text messages.

The new capability extends the Alexa for Shopping assistant, which launched in May 2026. Users can describe an item or send a photo to a contact labeled "Amazon Alexa." The AI searches Amazon listings, sends back recommendations, and completes the purchase.

Amazon states the tool handles various tasks. It orders weekly groceries, suggests gifts, and finds products similar to photographed items. The system also remembers personal preferences. A shopper who requests vegan options will see that reflected in future suggestions.

The assistant monitors prices for watched items. It sends a text alert when a product drops in price or goes on sale. This feature aims to make shopping convenient when opening an app is less practical.

Access is limited at first. Amazon is rolling out the feature to a small group of U.S. customers starting Friday. Selected users receive an invitation text. The company plans to expand access to millions more customers in the coming weeks.

Rajiv Mehta, vice president of Conversational Shopping at Amazon, said customers often note needs in chats or notes. "Now with Alexa for Shopping, your personal shopping agent is just a text away," Mehta said. He added that the assistant searches, compares, and buys on the customer's behalf.

Other companies have adopted similar methods. OpenAI launched a feature last month that lets users text its personal AI agent, Dot. DoorDash introduced a text-based ordering option in September 2026 through its Ask DoorDash chatbot.