Updated AnyList Skill for Amazon Alexa Now Available

As of July 1, Amazon has shut down the List Skill API, which allowed AnyList and other apps to sync directly with Alexa’s lists.

However, Amazon has now approved our updated Alexa skill, so you can continue to use Alexa to add items to AnyList by including phrases such as “tell AnyList” or “ask AnyList” in your command.

Amazon’s rollout of our updated skill was initially proceeding slowly, but it now seems to be available to most people.

How can I tell if the updated skill is available for me?

Try giving a command like “Alexa, tell AnyList to add ITEM to LIST NAME” and then seeing if the item appears in AnyList.

When asking Alexa to add an item to AnyList, listen carefully to Alexa’s response. If the response does not begin with “AnyList added…”, then Alexa added the item to one of its own lists instead, and the item will not appear in AnyList.

This likely means Amazon has not automatically updated the skill for your account yet. In that case, you should be able to force the skill to update by following these steps to disable and re-enable the AnyList skill.

How can I make it easier to use the updated skill?

Once the new command is working for you, we have a list of recommendations to help ensure the best possible experience with our updated skill.

Of note, our updated skill allows you to select a default list, so you can say things like, “Alexa, tell AnyList to add apples,” which will add the item to your default list. This helps to cut down on the number of words you have to say each time.

We understand that these changes will be disruptive and wish that they weren’t necessary. Unfortunately, these changes are entirely due to Amazon’s decision to shut down the Alexa List Skill API and are out of our control.

Thank you for your continued support, and please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or issues with the updated skill.

Best,
Jason & Jeff, AnyList Co-Founders