We have successfully completed the device software update referenced in the Alexa Presentation Language (APL) public beta announcement, which means we have two exciting updates for you. First, you can now expect your APL skills to render properly when tested on your Echo Show, Echo Spot, and Fire TV. Second, we are now certifying and publishing APL skills for your customers to experience on multimodal devices. Submit your APL skill today to start the certification process. If you have already submitted your APL skill, no further action is required at this point. You can expect a certification update soon.

Test Your APL Skills on Devices and in the Alexa Developer Console

Now you can easily test your APL skills on your multimodal devices via the new “Push to Device” button within the APL authoring tool in the Alexa Developer Console. If you own an Echo Show, Echo Spot, or Fire TV, testing your APL skills on your devices can help you better optimize your skill experience with additional context in mind, such as the screen size and the location of the device in the house. For example, if you test your skill on your Fire TV, you can experience your APL skill on a large screen in a living room environment. This can help you develop new ideas, such as including more information to leverage the larger display and excluding touch elements that customers aren't likely to use when they are enjoying their TVs from their couches.

Please note, you don’t need to own multimodal devices to be able to build and test APL skills. You can always use the APL authoring tool in the Alexa developer console to see how your APL documents will render on different devices, and use the Alexa Simulator tool to test end to end skill experience.

Build a Consistent Experience Across Devices Using Alexa Packages

We recently added details regarding Alexa packages in the APL technical documentation. You can import standard Alexa packages–which include Alexa layouts, styles, and viewport profiles–in to your APL document to build a consistent experience that works across devices. Check out our technical documentation to learn more.

Resources to Get Started with the Alexa Presentation Language

Many developers have already published multimodal skills using APL. Visit our website to see how they used APL and get inspired.

To start building multimodal skills with APL, read our technical documentation, check out the Alexa Design Guide, or read our blog on how to get started with APL. Additionally, watch our on-demand webinars to learn more:

• Watch Getting Started with the Alexa Presentation Language to learn the basics of APL
• Watch Advanced Template Building with the Alexa Presentation Language to watch an Alexa evangelist build an APL skill live using advanced techniques

If you have feedback or questions, let us know on the Alexa developer forum. Be sure to add the "APL" topic to your post.