Changelog
June 1, 2023
Navigation
- Removed existing guidelines from Navigation section and replaced with all new guidelines for consistency and ease of understanding.
- New navigation overview with requests that are passed along with required/recommended guidelines.
October 6th, 2022
Invoking Alexa
- Changed Alexa Hands Free to Wake Word and placed in the new Landing Page section.
- Added specific sound details
- Updated Tap-to-Talk section.
- Examples table, removed Microphone off information and updated sounds
Visual Language
- Updated Alexa Brand hyperlink (missed in last update)
- Removed (Recommended) Only use red to indicate error messages. Do not use red outside of error cases.
- Added (Required) Do not use red within an Alexa interface as it is distracting and can be associated with errors or warnings.
Writing for voice
- Deleted entire section, no longer needed.
Landing Page
- Added new section
Communication
- Removed the following and placed in the Menu and settings, Calling & Texting section:
- Communication features can be enabled/disabled with an on/off toggle for each phone. The phone used for communications can be selected as well. Customers can also pair new phones in this setting.
- (Required) In the Communications settings display which phones are paired and which are currently connected.
- (Required) When Contact Upload and / or Share Messages are disabled, previously uploaded contacts and / or SMS messages must be deleted.
- (Required) If customer selects pair new, launch the native Bluetooth pairing flow.
- Once the pairing is completed, ask the customer to grant permission as indicated in Bluetooth Pairing (https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/alexa-auto/communication.html#bluetooth-pairing-a-new-phone-after-alexa-was-previously-set-up).
- Added note: All the screens used for Communications in the vehicle need to follow the above requirements. For secondary screens (all except the central display) with technical or real estate limitations, prioritize phone name/number and call type.
- Removed Alert goes off during an active call section, no longer part of the product
Display Cards
- Added note: Do no display empty lists.
- Updated Now Playing image to include latest Amazon Music logo
Language Handling
- Added Additional mismatch section.
Media services
- Updated 7 images to match Audible layout
- Removed: For requests that generate a list of results, we provide list results metadata to display in the List Template card. The customer may choose a list item with a screen tap or by voice (i.e. Alexa, number 2). Once an item is selected, transition to the now playing card.
Menu and settings
- Updated Preview Mode and Signed In: AHF to Wake Word, Communication to Calling & Texting, and added Bluetooth Settings/Connect a phoine.
- Updated images to match Wake Word and Calling & Texting
- Updated (Required) If a customer selects Connect a Phone, launch the native Bluetooth pairing flow.
- Removed: (Required) Inform customers that contacts and / or SMS messages will be uploaded to Alexa Cloud when they are toggled to on in settings.
- Removed: (Required) Provide customers a way to enable or disable contact access and SMS messaging without disconnecting the connected phone.
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Added the following:
- (Required) Display only the connected primary Bluetooth phone on the Calling & Texting screen.
- This is the phone Alexa will use for phone calls and text messages. Other phones that are connected or previously paired are not displayed here.
- (Required) Delete uploaded contacts when Sync Contacts is turned off.
- (Required) Delete uploaded SMS messages when Sync SMS Messages is turned off.
- (Required) If a customer selects Bluetooth Settings, open the native Bluetooth settings menu.
- (Required) If no phone is connected, display the Calling & Texting screen as shown below.
Notification and error handling
- Removed Alarms and timers section, no longer part of the product.
Setup
- Added note: The customer must complete all steps in the setup process or they will be redirected to start from the beginning when they return.
- Removed Step 3: Confirm section, now reference the Landing Page section, updated images to match
- Removed duplicate: (Required) Only ask customers to sign-in to their Amazon account in the vehicle once.
- Removed: Once authenticated, do not ask customers to sign-in again until they sign out. Store the customer’s authentication tokens securely and allow usage for every vehicle start.
- Updated Amazon’s Conditions of use to Alexa Terms of Use
- Added Deregister device section
Glossary
- Added Pair/Paired and Connect/Connected definitions
Design toolkit
- Updated sounds
July 8, 2022
Visual language
- Updated Alexa Brand Guidelines hyperlink
- Updated (Required) Use the Small Space Alexa Talk Bubble when the space is 30dp or smaller.
- Removed Note that the 30px limit is measured in density-independent pixels, so a screen with 2x density would use this logo in spaces of 60px or smaller.
- Added (Required) Do not squeeze or stretch any Alexa logos. The Alexa Smile Logo, the Alexa Talk Bubble Button, and the Small Space Alexa Talk Bubble must be displayed at their original aspect ratios without being stretched or squeezed.
Invoking Alexa
- Added 2 On-screen Tap-to-Talk (TTT) button information.
- Updated Tap-to-talk section: (Required) If PTT is not available, TTT (Tap-to-Talk) via an on-screen button (in the same location and accessible at all times) to invoke Alexa.
- Added 3 Tap-to-Talk images.
- Update: (Required) Place the TTT button persistently in the same location with a consistent style and ample space for minimal chance of accidentally pressing the wrong button.
- Update to: Added (Required) The TTT button must be the Alexa Talk Bubble button in the Design toolkit.
- Removed Interruption behaviors heading.
- Added: (Required) Implement interruption behaviors as described in the table below:
- Voice Chrome section, PTT Button Examples table: Removed line 7 Errors information.
- Privacy section: Removed (Required) Disable Alexa in restricted modes such as valet or for guest drivers.
- Privacy section: Added (Required) Vehicles with restricted modes must disable Alexa in those modes (e.g. valet mode or for guest drivers).
- Privacy section: Added This requirement does not apply to vehicles that do not have restricted modes.
UI text guidelines
- Removed Wake word: Use “Hands-free listening” instead.
Setup
- Step 2 Configure: Location permission, Communication permission, Navigation favorites permission, and Enable Push-to-talk sections, Removed Note: If the customer has previously enabled this feature, then this screen should be skipped.
- Removed (Required) Only ask customers to sign-in to their Amazon account in the vehicle once.
- Removed Once signed in, do not ask customers to sign-in again until they sign out. Do not ask customers to sign-in every time they start their vehicle.
- Enable section, Updated: If Alexa doesn’t support the current IVI system language, some special handling is needed before Setup can proceed. Read the https://quip-amazon.com/TIFXAG0RC4w9/Language-Handling-v7 section for details on this.
- Removed details on Language section, added to new section: Language Handling
- Updated 10 images: Get Started, Sign-in, Sign-in flow, Preview Mode setup flow, Location permission screen, Communication permission screen, Success (Signed-in), Success (Preview Mode), Additional Requirements, Appendix images
- Added image to Additional requirements
Notifications and error handling
- New notification arrived section, Removed (Recommended) Alexa's customers are used to notifications appearing on the voice chrome component. We recommend the voice chrome bar or button component appear whenever a notification arrives, pulse a yellow LED, and play an audio file.
- Updated 2 images: Notification images and Error handling section.
- Updated (Required) When an alarm or timer has been set or snoozed, a persistent visual must be present until the alarm or timer has completed.
Menu and settings
- Removed Language settings, added to new section: Language Handling
- Updated “Alexa’s Language” setting to Language
- Do Not Disturb section, Added: “Alexa won’t disturb you except for timers and alarms”
- Do Not Disturb section, Updated: Turning on Don Not Disturb will disable notifications from Alexa, except for timers or alarms.
- Communication section, Add (Required) If no phone is connected show "No phone connected" in the Communications section in the Alexa settings menu.
- Communication section, Add (Recommended) If a paired phone is not connected show "Not connected" in the Communications menu, with a link to the connection settings in the head unit.
- Updated Alexa Menu image
- Added: Read the Language Handling section for details on how to display language settings.
- Updated Preview Mode menu image
- Appendix, Updates: Language sections
Media services
- (Required) Remove controls not available in the active media section, edit: Capital f , “Fast-forward”
- Media screens, Now Playing: section, edit Audo to Auto.
Language handling
- Added new section
Display cards
- Added New Display Card: Dismiss the previous display card content when an Alexa response requires a new display card.
- Added: (required) Interrupt Alexa speaking when a customer manually dismisses a display card.
Communication
- Communication Permissions section, Removed When re-connecting a previously paired phone to an enabled vehicle that had not been granted communication permissions previously using methods 1-3 above.
- Removed (Required) When a phone is connected to an Alexa enabled vehicle, and communications permissions have not been granted, ask the customer to upload contacts and SMS messages to Alexa.
- Removed (Required) Upload phone contacts and / or SMS messages to the Alexa cloud n the vehicle after communication permissions are granted.
- Added (Required) For connected phones with granted permissions, upload the contacts and/or SMS messages to the Alexa cloud.
- Removed Note: The customer will be asked to consent to the Alexa communication permissions each time the permission is toggled from “no” to “yes”.
- Removed sections: Contact information, Contact resolution, Contact disambiguation Phone number type disambiguation
- Updated Active Alexa calls from note to requirement
- Alexa Voice Messaging section, Edit Note: Capital T, The audio cue should not be played on a loop.
- Updated When there's an incoming Alexa call, the Alexa call will be ignored.
- Updated 6 images: Bluetooth pairing, While setting up Alexa, Active Alexa calls.
- Added Terminology section
- Removed: (Required) Alert customer when there is an incoming call.
- Add (Required) During an active call, no audio cues should be played but your device should use a visual call connected state to indicate that the connection is open.
Glossary
- U - Capitalize the I in User interface and move Utterances to the next line below User interface.
December 31, 2021
- Renamed to Alexa Auto Design Guidelines
Invoking Alexa
- Removed the term “earcon” in favor of “sound cues”.
- Removed duplicate definition of TTT visuals, in favor of the definition found in Visual Language.
- Added 3 requirements
- In multi-turn interactions, the Start of Request sound must play each time the mic opens during the interaction. The End of Request sound must play each time the mic closes.
- Play the Start of Request sound immediately after the wake word is detected.
- Do not duplicate Alexa voice chrome or supplement with other attention state signifiers.
- Added guidance for use of the two different wakesounds (for touch vs voice invocation).
- Updated guidance around Alexa smile logo and Alexa talk bubble.
- Added a requirement regarding language selection.
- Added a requirement regarding not adding additional setup steps.
- Added a requirement around pagination for the Weather display cards.
- Updated the Alexa logo on images.
- Updated requirements around Phone calls.
- Removed requirement under Interrupt handling for Features and Calls, TTS going off during an active call.
- Removed the term “earcon” in favor of “sound cues”.
- Updated a legacy images that are no longer valid.
- Renamed “earcons” folder in favor of “sound cues".
- Added additional sounds.
- Added “Logos” folder, included three smile logos.
November 15, 2021
- Added 2 new requirements
- (Required) Place the TTT persistently in a single location with a consistent style.
- (Required) Allow Alexa to be invoked while mobile projection applications are running or other assistants are present (e.g. Android Auto or Apple CarPlay).
- Removed 1 requirement
- (Required) Use sentence case (capitalize only the first word) for all UI elements.
- Updates to sign-in and addition of Preview Mode, entire page has been updated.
- Two new template types were added LocalSearchListTemplate2 and LocalSearchDetailTemplate1.
- Auto Dismiss information added to the Display Card table.
- Updated 9 images
- BodyTemplate1
- BodyTemplate2
- LocalSearchListTemplate2
- Alexa voice chrome
- Title
- ListTemplate1 - To-do list
- ListTemplate1 - Shopping List
- ListTemplate1 - Calendar
- WeatherTemplate
- Added 2 new images
- LocalSearchDetailTemplate1
- LocalSearchListTemplate2
- Revised 3 requirements
- (Required) Show Alexa display cards when available and while mobile projection applications are running or other virtual assistants are present (e.g. Android Auto or Apple CarPlay)
- (Required) Dismiss Display Cards according to following rules:
- Manual Dismiss: Dismiss the display card as soon as the User taps the ‘X’.
- Auto Dismiss: Display cards automatically dismiss 8 or 30 seconds after last interaction. Interactions include Alexa's response, user touch events, and user voice requests. Refer to the table at the beginning for time out details for each display card.
- (Required) Number list items in non-calendar lists.
- Added more information on LocalSearchListTemplate2
- Added more information on LocalSearchDetailTemplate1
- Added 7 new requirements
- (Required) Enable voice control of switching between all local media sources.
- (Required) Display tuning and transport controls for local media sources.
- (Recommended) If displaying Alexa’s NowPlaying Display Card, use the icons in the Amazon Icon Library for media player controls.
- (Required) Show display art when received from the media service provider.
- (Required) Use the NowPlaying (https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/docs/alexa/alexa-auto/display-cards.html#nowplaying) display card to display media.
- (Required) Allow customers to use Alexa for all media controls.
- (Required) Disable media controls currently not selectable.
- Removed playlist support.
- Updated 2 images
- LocalSearchListTemplate2
- LocalSearchDetailTemplate1
- Updated Communication permissions section
- Updated 3 images
- Bluetooth pairing
- Sync Contacts
- DropIn
- Updated 5 requirements
- (Required) When a phone is connected to an Alexa enabled vehicle, and communications permissions have not been granted, ask the customer to upload contacts and SMS messages to Alexa.
- (Required) If during Alexa setup the vehicle or device detects a phone already connected to the head unit, ask the customer for permission to upload contacts and SMS messages.
- (Required) Upload phone contacts and / or SMS messages to the Alexa cloud on the vehicle after communication permissions are granted.
- (Required) In the "Communications" settings display which phones are paired and which are currently connected.
- (Required) When "Contact Upload" and / or "Share Messages" are disabled, previously uploaded contacts and / or SMS messages must be deleted.
- Added 2 new requirements
- (Required) Remove phone contacts and / or SMS messages from the vehicle if the customer has not used them after 30 days.
- (Required) Provide customers a way to enable / disable contact access and / or SMS messaging without disconnecting the connected phone.
Notifications and error handling
- Updated Context specification for the case of no Alexa account has been set up.
- Updated the String value for Network error during setup
- Updated String value and Action button value for the Context: Alexa is not available in their language(should be translated to language not supported )
- Revised Menu and settings to include information on Preview Mode
- Revised requirement
- (Required) For each setting, use the strings included in the image below:
- Added # new images
- Alexa menu for signed-in customers
- Preview Mode
- Updated 6 images
- Alexa Hands-Free
- Default Voice Assistant
- Notifications
- Sounds
- Alexa’s language
- Things to Try
- Added new requirements
- Communications
- (Required) Inform customers that contacts and / or SMS messages will be uploaded to Alexa Cloud when they are toggled to "on" in settings.
- (Required) Provide customers a way to enable / disable contact access and / or SMS messaging without disconnecting the connected phone.
- Sign out
- (Required) When the user selects "sign out", ask for confirmation before signing out.
- Communications
- Added an Appendix for settings structure and content.
Resources
- Design toolkit
- Updated Things to Try
- Updated Localized Strings
October 15, 2020
Updates to Invoking Alexa
- Added 3 new requirements
- (Required) Indicate to the customer when Alexa Hands-Free is disabled.
- (Required) Allow customers to cancel listening and speaking.
- (Required) Use Alexa earcons only for Alexa features.
- Revised 2 requirements (changes in bold).
- “The product shall allow customers to invoke Alexa via PTT without a wake word if the vehicle offers a PTT button.”
- “The product shall enable invocation of Alexa only after the customer has completed Alexa setup.“
- Tap-to-talk (TTT) button description has been updated
- Updated terminology: “Hands-free listening” is now “Alexa Hands-Free”.
- Added descriptions for interruption behaviors (barge-in and cancel).
- Added more info on the Alexa attention system (earcons and voice chrome). Including:
- Linear chrome is preferred and to be placed along the bottom edge
- Voice chrome should be an overlay and not a full-screen app
Updates to Visual language
- Revised requirement: “The product shall display the Alexa logo only in Alexa Blue (#00CAFF), Squid Ink (#232F3E), or White (#FFFFFF).” (changes in bold)
Updates to Setup:
- Added requirement: “(Required) Support only the Alexa languages that the vehicle also supports.”
- Added language selection screen.
- Removed requirement “offer customers the ability to sign in once and use Alexa across multiple devices.”
Updates to Menu and settings
- Updated terminology: “Hands-free listening” is now “Alexa Hands-Free”
- Removed location permissions, help and feedback requirements/images.
- Added new setting for “Alexa’s language” and the following requirement:
- (Required) If the customer selects an Alexa language that is different than the system language, you must surface a notification of the language mismatch++
Other notable changes
- Media services: Removed grid template image and updated requirement to only address metadata.
- Communications: Remove “TTS goes off during an active call” requirement, and “duck the audio” for incoming call sound.
- Notifications and error handling: Removed error message for when a Customer updates their password.
- Resources: Updated resources in Design toolkit
- updated icons for Alexa brand, media playback and MSP logos
- updated Things to Try
September 16, 2019
Media Services guidelines refactor.
- Please check full page for a rewrite with new requirements and recommendations.
September 5, 2019
Communication guidelines page released. Updates to Menu & settings
- Added Contact list menu item to settings
- Added requirements for Contact list settings
- Updated all images to reflect Alexa style
- New requirement for contact permissions
- Updated OOBE flow to incorporate contact permission screen
- Updated all images to reflect Alexa style
December 19, 2018
- Added section on Display Cards with additional requirements.
- Minor wording revisions for clarity on all requirements.
- Added the following requirements:
- Invoking Alexa
- If PTT is not available, TTT (Tap-to-Talk) via an on-screen button can be used to invoke Alexa.
- Provide customers a way to disable Alexa hands-free listening under the Alexa menu.
- Play the Alexa earcons at the beginning and end of speech input.
- Enable hands-free listening only after the customer has completed Alexa setup.
- Disable Alexa in restricted modes such as valet or for guest drivers.
- Setup
- Do not allow customers to sign in when the car is in motion.
- Invoking Alexa
August 14, 2018
v1(launch)
Last updated: Nov 25, 2023