Alexa Will Now Keep Tabs on Your Uber Eats Order

Amazon launched a new Alexa feature for tracking orders made through Uber Eats. Users can get real-time updates announced by the voice assistant in the U.S. or ask about the latest update whenever they get impatient.

Uber Eats Alexa

The new feature is essentially a hands-free version of opening the Uber Eats app to find out an order’s status. Every update can be sent to an Alexa smart speaker or display and either announced immediately or saved as a notification on an Echo device. Uber Eats users can turn on “Track with Alexa” in the voice assistant settings of the Uber Eats app.

“Simple ambient experiences let customers be more present with family and friends—they don’t need to be distracted by checking for delivery updates on their mobile apps,” Alexa Skills director and general manager Mark Yoshitake said. “Now, customers can settle in for their favorite movie and trust Alexa to let them know when their driver is approaching with their order, or update them if there is a material change to the estimated delivery time. It’s yet another example of how Alexa is helping make customers’ lives easier.”

Alexa isn’t Uber’s first voice assistant announcer. The same feature for Google Assistant debuted with much fanfare last year, followed by integration with Apple’s Siri voice assistant. As Voicebot noted then, Uber Eats’ plan is somewhat similar to the Grubhub Alexa skill introduced in 2017, except both Grubhub and its sister brand Seamless no longer have Alexa skills available on the Skills Store.

Uber and Amazon see the concept as appealing to those who don’t want to always have their phone with them or who are sending food to their home before they arrive and want to keep their family or roommates up to speed.

“With order tracking on Alexa, managing orders from Uber Eats has never been easier—whether a favorite dessert or Friday night pizza heading to consumers’ doorsteps,” Uber lead product manager Ethan Hollinshead said. “We know that consumers are busier than ever before and we are excited to launch our integration with Alexa that unlocks new ways to simplify the experience to help consumers to get anything, from anywhere—which is always our priority.”

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