Amazon’s Alexa is now available for Windows 10 PCs everywhere

Amazon’s popular voice assistant Alexa continues to invade our everyday lives.

The online retail giant announced today that it’s releasing an Alexa app for all Windows 10 PCs. The voice assistant was previously available on only select Windows 10 laptops, but starting today, you’ll see it officially in the Microsoft Store for everyone.

What’s great is that you can use the app on both Windows 10 computers and the Xbox One. And yes, Alexa can live in harmony with Cortana, the voice assistant built into Windows 10. 

To get started, simply download the app and launch it. Then, log into your Amaxon account or create a new one. Some devices will work with the wake word “Alexa,” but on others, you maybe need to click or use a keyboard shortcut in order to activate the assistant. 

Just like an Amazon Echo, Alexa can control smart home devices, tell you the weather, crack jokes, and answer general knowledge questions. Plus, you can use it to make lists and see them visually in the app. 

Amazon is quick to note that some traditional requests and features will not be available. For now, that list includes video, communications, Spotify, and Pandora. The company has not said if they’ll arrive in the future. 

While that is clearly a downside, Alexa gets updates pretty frequently. For 2019, Amazon is planning to add PC controls which will allow you to use Alexa to interact with your PC. These will be specific commands, which shows an inherent interest in expanding the voice assistant on this platform.

It’s not going to overtake Cortana just yet. But, if Amazon sticks to the promise of improving and adding new features to Alexa for PC, it will at least be a great alternative.