Amazon Alexa Finally Gets Location-Based Routines And Reminders

Amazon has updated its Alexa personal assistant with new features first revealed back in September: location-based routines and reminders. Users in the United States are on the receiving end of the new feature rollout, according to the company. With it, someone can order Alexa to give them a reminder for a specific thing only when they're in the relevant location, such as at home or the office.

Amazon first introduced these features on September 20, stating that users would soon be able to use location-based routines and reminders for things like taking food out of the fridge when they get home, setting up routines that play when they leave the office, and similar things that help organize the day.

Amazon has confirmed that these location-based features are rolling out to US users now and will continue to do so over the next few weeks. Location-based reminders are delivered both via Echo devices and as push notifications from the Alexa app, meaning they're accessible whenever the customer needs them.

Routines, meanwhile, are a set of commands prearranged to trigger with certain phrases. There's the Good Morning phrase, for example, which can trigger a morning routine that provides the weather, traffic, and news. The location-based routines are similar, but are tailored to home and work, including whether you're coming or going.

A routine setup to trigger when the customer arrives home may be used to ensure music is playing, the thermostat is adjusted, and the porch lights are turned on for the user. In the same way, an end-of-work routine could be used to get the traffic, for example. Users will get the ability to choose other locations for specific routines, too.