Amazon updates Alexa for Windows 10 with hands-free wake, Pandora support

Alexa PC app
Alexa PC app (Image credit: Windows Central)

The Alexa app for Windows 10 received an update today, which makes it work much more akin to Amazon's own Echo devices. The update makes Alexa hands-free, allowing you to invoke the digital assistant with just a voice command.

According to Amazon's release notes, all you have to do to spring Alexa to life is say "Alexa," followed by your question or command. It doesn't matter if the Alexa app is running in the background or foreground; the command will work regardless.

In addition to the hands-free update, the latest version of the Alexa app also brings support for Pandora. Now, Pandora users can ask Alexa to play stations directly through the app.

All of this is in addition to the smart home controls and digital assistant niceties that the Alexa app shipped with when it launched in the Microsoft Store in November. To check out all of what's new, you can grab the latest version of Alexa from the Microsoft Store now.

See at Microsoft

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Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl