Amazon Launches Alexa Skill Personalization Features
Amazon is making it easier for Alexa Skill developers to personalize their voice apps. The company announced this week that developers can now apply Alexa’s voice profile feature, which detects and recognizes different speakers on a single Amazon account, to their skill. That means multiple accounts for a third-party skill will be accessible from a single Alexa account.
Voice Profile Personalizing
Amazon debuted its voice profiles in 2017 which enables Alexa to respond differently to the same query based on who is speaking, without switching accounts. This made it easier for a family or roommates to share an Alexa device. That personalization was limited to first-party features like news briefings or shopping until the latest update to the Alexa platform.
“Now, your skill can determine who is speaking when customers engage naturally with your skill, no longer needing to switch between Alexa accounts to access individual preferences,” Alexa Skills senior product manager Mohit Mittal said in the announcement. “Personalizing your skill experience can range from a friendly greeting to responses based on a customer’s likes, dislikes, interests, or account history. “
Amazon highlighted several skills that are already applying the personalization option. For instance, different people can order Uber rides from the same Alexa device, with the voice assistant recognizing who is speaking and using the relevant account. A variety of other informational, entertainment, and personal health skills are also in the first wave of personalized Alexa skills, including Vodaphone, 7-Minute Workout, and Twenty Questions. Alexa connects the speaker with the right account for all of them without the hassle of signing out and then back in as a different Alexa user.
Linking Alexa and Apps
The new feature is the latest of Amazon’s efforts to make using third-party apps on Alexa as frictionless as possible. In August, Alexa started offering app-to-app account linking for Alexa skills. Using that feature, users can connect an account on a mobile app to Alexa without needing to log in on both devices. Instead, developers can add a button to the app to activate a link to the user’s Alexa profile.
Voice app developers are eager for these kinds of features. By combining the app-to-app and personalization features, developers ensure users don’t have to expend much energy to use a skill on an app or by voice. Developers can offer unique voice experiences, personalized for each individual.
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