Amazon's Alexa App UI Redesign for Enhanced Smart Home Control: What's New?

Amazon's recent UI redesign of the Alexa app brings significant improvements to smart home control, enhancing the user experience on both Android and iOS devices. Let's delve into the details of these updates and explore how they redefine the way users interact with their connected devices.

Before vs. After

As reported by Jeff Barberio, Head of Product, Alexa:

"With these updates, customers should be able to access their favorite features, easily control their devices, and jump into device settings in just a few taps."

He mentions that the latest updates aim to bring a seamless and intuitive user journey.

Smart Home App Improvements

Design Changes:

Breaking away from the traditional blue theme, the new UI incorporates a neutral palette of white and gray. Rounded design elements, visual hints through illustrations, and a cleaner, minimalistic look contribute to a more engaging and aesthetically pleasing interface. Some sources report this new UI "looks a lot like Google Home".

Key Features:

The revamped bottom menu now has 3 tabs for "Home," "Devices," and "More," simplifies navigation, ensuring users can quickly find what they need. Let's have a closer look at each tab.

"Home" Menu Tab

• Favorites, now prominently displayed on the Home page, offer more than convenience. They provide quick access to frequently used devices, shopping lists, to-do lists, and recently played music, making the Alexa app a central hub for daily tasks.
• The introduction of a Shortcuts bar (similar to tags or filters) categorizes devices and highlights popular Alexa features. This not only streamlines device access but also encourages users to explore the full spectrum of Alexa capabilities.
• Stacked activity cards section present time-sensitive information with efficiency, minimizing clutter. This enhances the overall user experience, ensuring users can swiftly access and manage their alerts and reminders.
• Subscribers to Ring Protect can now conveniently view up to six snapshots from their connected Ring cameras directly from the Home page under Favorites. This feature adds a layer of convenience, providing visual insights into the home environment.

"Devices" Menu Tab

• The improved search controls functionality opens up new possibilities for users. With the ability to filter, sort, search and switch between List View and Map View, finding and managing connected devices becomes a more personalized and efficient process.
• The innovative Map View feature, while currently limited to the U.S. market, offers users a unique way to visualize their smart home. By creating a digital floor plan and pinning connected devices, users can gain an at-a-glance overview, enhancing control and accessibility.

"More" Menu Tab

• Users can access the "Routines" feature from the "More" menu. Routines refer to predefined sets of actions triggered by a single command. They allow users to automate a series of tasks.

Other

• The chat feature introduces a more conversational interaction with Alexa. Users can talk or type with Alexa by clicking the floating "mic" button, making it available anywhere. With full-screen visual responses and suggested conversation prompts to create more engaging and dynamic interaction.

User feedback:

• User feedback sheds light on potential usability issues and the introduction of ads in the "More" tab, as it misleads and sometime annoys being too pushy with ads.
• When users navigate to "More" and then select "Routines," there is a reported discrepancy. While the app displays a blue line under "Your Routines," the initial view defaults to the center "Gallery" view, requiring an extra swipe to access the list of routines.

Availability:

While the global roll-out is awaited, the awaited release of the Map View feature in the U.S. gives exciting possibilities. As Amazon continues to refine and expand these features, users can anticipate a more personalized and efficient interaction with their connected devices.

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