Anyone who uses Alexa regularly knows that Amazon's assistant is not as easy to use on a smartphone as, say, the best Alexa speakers. But that may change for iPhone users.

Amazon has announced a shortcut-style widget for iOS 14 and iOS 15 beta users that brings Alexa to the home screen with a single touch; called "Ask Alexa," this widget will allow any query you might have to voice triggers the assistant.

Within the Alexa app for iPhone, you could already call Alexa by voice or tap, but now you can interact with the assistant a little easier on your phone. It still can't beat the hands-free ease of vocalizing "Alexa" near a speaker with a microphone or smart TV, but it's definitely an improvement.

If you know how to add widgets to your iPhone home screen, you should be able to add Ask Alexa. Press and hold an empty spot on the screen until the app jiggles, then tap the Add (+) button in the upper left corner. you can search for Alexa widgets or scroll through the list of available widgets. the list of iPhone widget tools is in alphabetical order, so you won't The list of iPhone widget tools is alphabetical, so you won't have any trouble finding it.

Click Add Widget and Ask Alexa will appear on the page of your open home screen. You can always move the widget by long-pressing and dragging it to another location or page; knowing how to use Alexa on the iPhone, you can take advantage of it quite often, so it's useful to keep the widget near your favorite apps and services.

Here's how Ask Alexa works after installation: Tap the widget to open the Alexa app and launch Alexa. Tap the widget to open the Alexa app and launch Alexa. From there, you can ask Alexa for the day's Amazon deals, a glimpse of your calendar, or control the best smart home devices that work with Alexa.

The Ask Alexa widget is the latest addition to the voice assistant's capabilities. Amazon has also just launched an announcement reminder skill, similar to the assignable reminders for Google Assistant. In the area of interesting Amazon Alexa tricks, you can learn how to get Alexa celebrity voices like Shaq and Melissa McCarthy.

For more tips on getting the most out of Amazon's voice assistant, be sure to check out our guide to using Alexa.