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Got a New iPhone? Ditch Siri and Add Amazon Alexa on Your Home Screen Instead

It's easy to add the Alexa widget to your iOS home screen to make Amazon's voice assistant just a short tap away.

Dale Smith Former Associate Writer
Dale Smith is a former Associate Writer on the How-To team at CNET.
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Macy Meyer Editor I
Macy Meyer is a N.C. native who graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2021 with a B.A. in English and Journalism. She currently resides in Charlotte, N.C., where she has been working as an Editor I, covering a variety of topics across CNET's Home and Wellness teams, including home security, fitness and nutrition, smart home tech and more. Prior to her time at CNET, Macy was featured in The News & Observer, The Charlotte Observer, INDY Week, and other state and national publications. In each article, Macy helps readers get the most out of their home and wellness. When Macy isn't writing, she's volunteering, exploring the town or watching sports.
Expertise Macy covers a variety of topics across CNET's Home and Wellness teams, including home security, smart home tech, fitness, nutrition, travel, lifestyle and more. Credentials
  • Macy has been working for CNET for coming on 2 years. Prior to CNET, Macy received a North Carolina College Media Association award in sports writing.
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Dale Smith
Macy Meyer
4 min read
Echo Dot with Clock

You talk to Alexa on your Amazon Echo devices, and now the digital assistant is only one tap away on your iPhone or iPad thanks to Amazon's Alexa iOS widget.

 Dale Smith/CNET

You already know you can give Alexa commands on your Echo devices, but did you know that you can also talk to Alexa on your iPhone? Think of it as taking all of the great features of Alexa, but to go. Whether you've just purchased a new iPhone 14 or are still hanging onto another model, it's a great time to swap Siri for Alexa.

Siri is fine (and Apple added a couple updates for its virtual assistant in iOS 16), but if you would rather converse with Amazon's trusty voice assistant, you can just add the iOS Alexa app widget to your iPhone or iPad home screen. Once you set it up, one tap brings up the assistant you'd prefer to talk to. 

It's no big secret -- nearly every smart home device on the planet works with Alexa -- but for Siri and HomeKit, your options are more limited. Not to mention, Siri sometimes gets choked up and stops responding to basic requests (at least, it does on my iPhone). You may be ready to give up on Siri. 

Best Cheap Alexa Devices of 2023 See at CNET

Alexa, on the other hand, is nearly always available, accurate and downright friendly. And Amazon's voice assistant even has a different name and voice option. If you love having Alexa set timers and reminders, turn on lights and answer questions when you're at home, wait'll you start talking to Alexa on your iPhone when you're out and about.

Below you'll find tips for how to set up the Alexa iOS widget and use it to take Siri's place on your iPhone or iPad. But first, a word of caution.

siri

Siri is fine and all, but wouldn't you rather talk to Alexa?

 Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET

Alexa can't totally replace Siri, but it doesn't really matter

There are some functions only Siri can perform: changing your iPhone's screen brightness, turning on do not disturb, etc. Basically, anything that changes the settings on your iPhone or iPad itself is off-limits for a third-party assistant like Alexa.

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However, there's a lot more that Alexa can do and Siri can't -- especially if you've not paid any attention to whether a smart home device you bought is HomeKit compatible. My house is positively littered with smart plugs and video doorbell cameras and all sorts of devices Siri can't talk to -- but Alexa can.

In the end, it doesn't matter, since you're not replacing Siri with Alexa. In fact, if you've already got the Alexa app (and you probably do), you're not even adding Alexa to your iPhone -- it's right there in the app. All adding an Alexa widget to your home screen does, really, is put Alexa just one short tap away -- but that's enough to make adding the Alexa widget to your iOS home screen worthwhile.

The Real Cost of Turning Your Regular Home Into an Amazon Alexa Smart Home See at Cnet

Add the Alexa widget to your iPhone home screen

Now that I've told you why adding Alexa to your iPhone is beneficial, here are the steps you need to follow to add the Alexa widget to your home screen. It will only take you a few minutes and a few taps since you really only have to create the widget and then move it where you want it on your home screen.

Alexa iOS Widget

You can either leave the Alexa widget off to the side with the others or move it directly onto your iPhone home screen.

 Screenshot by Dale Smith/CNET

1. On your iPhone or iPad swipe left to right past the first page of your home screen.

2. Press and hold one of the widgets until a menu pops up. Tap Edit Home Screen.

3. Tap the + icon in the upper left corner. 

4. Scroll until you see Amazon Alexa or type Alexa in the search box, then tap Amazon Alexa.

5. Tap Add Widget at the bottom of the screen (there's only one option for size).

That's the first part. If you're happy with the location of the Alexa widget, tap Done in the upper right corner and you're finished. If not, while the widgets are still wiggling, tap and hold the Alexa widget until it "picks up," then drag it out onto your home screen and drop it where you want it to live, then tap Done.

A word of warning before you begin: While widgets have been neat tools since their debut with iOS 14 in 2020, they can be finicky if you aren't used to using them. A new widget can make a mess of the arrangement of your home screen if you're not careful with how you move them around.

And there you have it. Just select the Alexa widget and begin to command away.

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