Amazon Updates Alexa Devices With Apple iCloud Calendar Integration

Amazon today announced that users will now be able to sync their iCloud Calendar information with devices that support Amazon's smart assistant Alexa. With the update, users can ask Alexa what's coming up on their calendar, or issue commands so new appointments are added to the schedule. Anything added from an Amazon device is then synced with iCloud and added to the Calendar app on iOS and macOS devices.

To sync an iCloud account with Alexa, the company said that customers will have to sign in to their Apple account within the settings tab of the Alexa iOS app. Users in the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany will gain access to the new update beginning today, representing the current countries where Alexa is available.

Starting today, you can now link your Apple iCloud Calendar to Alexa. To do this, iCloud Calendar customers can simply link their account in the settings tab in the Alexa app. Once linked, just say, “Alexa, what’s on my calendar today?” or “Alexa, add lunch with Sarah at noon to my calendar.”

iCloud Calendar support has been a top requested feature from Alexa customers, and we’re thrilled to bring this to Alexa devices in US, UK and Germany today.

With the inclusion of Apple's Calendar, Alexa device users now have access to five total calendar services, also including accounts for G Suite, Google/Gmail, Office 365 users with Exchange Online mailboxes, and Outlook.com.

Alexa is available in a variety of hardware devices sold by Amazon, including the Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Look, and new Echo Show, as well as on the Amazon Alexa iOS app [Direct Link].

Tags: Amazon, Alexa

Top Rated Comments

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Steve.P.JobsFan

32 months ago

I welcome this! Now the workaround (publicly sharing your iCloud calendar, getting the link, downloading it as a .ics file, importing it to Google Calendar, and linking Alexa to Google) is no longer needed, I can just link direct to iCloud and I can stop publicly sharing my calendars.

Well done Amazon.

Rating: 5 Votes

JRobinsonJr

32 months ago

While some may balk at this (after all... you're giving Amazon access to your calendar!), I welcome it.

We all expect Apple to announce a similar product at WWDC, but experience tells me that the first version will (1) have limited features, (2) be hamstrung by Siri, and (3) be incredibly expensive. Hopefully they will surprise us all.

In the meantime, Amazon owns this segment... and has every right to. The Echo line is incredibly useful and this will just make it more so.

Rating: 4 Votes

DotCom2

32 months ago

I'll wait for Apple's speaker that does all of this automatically! :)

I love my Echo device but it's become simply a utility for timers, measurements and weather. Apple with 1st party integration is going to overtake this in my home as we're 100% Apple (AppleTV, MacBook, iPad, iPhone, iMac, HomeKit).

For 50 bucks (and sometimes less) it's certainly not bad though!

Rating: 3 Votes

djeeyore25

32 months ago

Yay! Now I have to find something to put on my calendar so Alexa can read it back to me.

Rating: 3 Votes

jmh600cbr

32 months ago

Great! I love integration and I love smart speakers.

Rating: 2 Votes

verniesgarden

32 months ago

it's looking like apple and amazon are starting to work together, if only this meant Alexa taking over siri

Rating: 2 Votes

Jme Saunders

32 months ago

Had a development for those having issues...

I thought it might've been a problem on the apple side, but it signs in fine, allows me to add to my calendar through alexa, but often fails to read it back...

But only when I say "what's on my calendar" or "what's on my calendar tomorrow" specifically.

If I say "what's on my calendar TODAY" or "what's on my calendar tomorrow MORNING", or I specific a particular date, it works perfectly fine.

Seems like an issue AVS side, can someone test and confirm?

I've just tired and Alexa is fine here (in the UK).

Rating: 2 Votes

apta50

32 months ago

You need to change that setting at the bottom that tells Alexa where to create new events. Yo now have it set to Google, so any events Alexa creates will only go to the Google calendar.

Nice one - thx. Works a treat. I'm a very happy bunny now. Cheers

Rating: 2 Votes

adamjackson

32 months ago

Rating: 2 Votes

nwcs

32 months ago

I don't think Reminders is supposed to work with this. I got excited when I saw my tasks list in the Calendar option in the Alexa app, but it does not seem to sync anything. The news release only mentions calendars, so I don't think reminders is part of this. Would be nice though.

Probably soon. I wonder if this integration is part of a detente rumored between Apple and Amazon over the Prime/Apple TV thing. Hope so. It just makes our life easier.

Rating: 1 Votes

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