Amazon has rebuilt the Alexa Home Map in the Alexa app as an interactive 3D view that covers both the inside and outside of a user's property. The redesign adds new graphics, features and dynamic effects to the interface that shows where connected devices are located. It replaces the 2D map that arrived in the Alexa app in 2023, and Amazon said the new version will begin rolling out in preview later this year without specifying a date.
The exterior portion relies on compatible Ring cameras to provide a 360-degree view that animates cars and people moving nearby, and a small live preview appears on the map when a camera detects movement. An interactive timeline lets users rewind the last 24 hours across every camera at once, which Amazon positions as a way to keep track of package deliveries and other activity while away from home. Animation effects also match the actual weather outside, and Amazon said themed modes for Halloween and Christmas are planned.
Inside, the map shows the location of Echo devices, Ring and Blink cameras, Fire TV, lights, locks, thermostats and other connected devices, and looks similar to Samsung's SmartThings Map View. Core functions such as adjusting speaker volume or checking security cameras can be handled from the map itself. Some elements update in real time, including music notes appearing over active speakers and a glow on smart lights that are switched on in whatever color they are set to.
Setup requires some work because the map is a digital replica of a specific house. Amazon uses the user's address to automatically pull a 3D model of the home and neighborhood from Mapbox, after which the user must walk through every room and scan it for an accurate interior layout. Scanning requires an iPhone with a LiDAR or structured-light sensor, though Amazon said it is testing a plain-video scanner for iOS and Android. Existing Map View maps cannot be reused, and Amazon said an average home takes between 15 and 20 minutes to scan.
Once the model is built, devices can be dragged onto it from the app tray. The map shows multiple floors and the location of furniture, and offers viewing modes including light and dark plus the ability to filter for specific devices such as lights.
The preview will be available on the iOS Alexa Home Map, the Alexa and Ring apps, the new Alexa Tablets, the Ember Artline Fire TV, and larger Echo Show devices including the new Echo Show 16.
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