Why trust Greenbot
Amazon insists its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Alexa+ voice assistant has reached hundreds of thousands of users since March, yet independent searches reveal almost no trace of real-world usage or reviews online.
The retail giant began rolling out early access to Alexa+ in March 2025, prioritizing customers with newer Echo Show devices. Despite Amazon’s assertion that the “overwhelming majority” of users are regular customers who requested early access, multiple news outlets have been unable to verify any significant user engagement.
Amazon responded forcefully to questions about the assistant’s availability in a recent statement. “It’s simply wrong to say that Alexa+ isn’t available to customers—that assertion is false,” Amazon spokesperson Eric Sveum told The Verge. “Hundreds of thousands of customers have access to Alexa+ and we’re constantly inviting more customers that have requested Early Access.”
Reuters conducted an extensive search across dozens of news sites, YouTube, TikTok, X, BlueSky, Meta’s platforms, Amazon’s Twitch, and Echo device reviews. They found only two Reddit users claiming to have used the service, but neither provided verifiable evidence.
“There seems to be no one who actually has it,” said Avi Greengart, lead analyst at Techsponential, in comments to Reuters. “This fits a pattern of a lot of companies announcing services or products when they are close to being ready, but not quite—that last mile is a lot farther away than they anticipated.”
The situation appears unusual given the typical marketing approach for major tech launches. Apple, for example, regularly provides early access to reviewers and influencers for new products.
Amazon reportedly sent out a new wave of invitation emails on Friday. The company has not required users to sign non-disclosure agreements, making the lack of public reviews even more puzzling.
Alexa+ is free for Prime subscribers or $19.99 monthly for non-Prime users. Amazon says the service offers more conversational interactions and complex task handling.
The rollout follows multiple delays. According to The Washington Post, Amazon postponed the initial launch because a “new version of the assistant [was] giving incorrect answers to test questions.” Some promised features remain unavailable, including Grubhub ordering, family member recognition, and web browser access.
Amazon’s current priority is the Echo Show models 8, 10, 15, and 21, with plans to expand to other compatible devices later. First-generation Echo devices will not support the upgrade.
For now, the mystery remains: if hundreds of thousands truly have access to Alexa+, why can’t anyone find them?
