To view your Alexa shopping list on an iPhone, open the Amazon Alexa app, tap More > Lists & Notes, and select Shopping. If your app shows Lists or a shopping list shortcut instead, open that and choose the same list. Items you check off move to Completed, so look there if something seems to be missing.
Your Echo can collect items while you are at home, and your iPhone lets you read the list at the store. You do not need to buy the groceries through Amazon to use the list. Adding “milk” to a shopping list records a reminder; it does not place an order. If accidental orders are a concern, you can turn off Alexa voice purchasing on an iPhone.
This guide covers the Alexa app on iPhone using Amazon's current US help instructions. Menu placement can differ by app version, account, and marketplace. The illustrations explain the workflow; they are not screenshots from a tested iPhone.
Before you open the list
Install or open the Amazon Alexa app on your iPhone and connect to the internet. Use Amazon Alexa, rather than assuming that the Amazon Shopping app, Apple's Reminders app, or another grocery app displays the same list.
Sign in to the Amazon account associated with the Echo that received your shopping requests. The Alexa app and Amazon Shopping app can be signed in separately. Seeing the right account in Amazon Shopping does not prove that Alexa is using it too.
If someone else set up the Echo, check which account it uses before treating an empty list as a syncing problem. Also remember the name of the list you requested. “Shopping,” “Groceries,” and a custom list called “Weekend party” can contain different items.
You can view the list without deleting its contents, changing privacy settings, or resetting an Echo. Begin with the viewing steps below.
Open the shopping list in the Alexa app
- Open Amazon Alexa on your iPhone. Wait for the home screen to load. If you see a sign-in screen, use the account associated with the relevant Echo.
- Tap More. This opens Alexa's additional features. Look for the labeled control because its position may change between releases.
- Choose Lists & Notes. Amazon's current list-management help uses this label. If your version labels the feature Lists, open that instead. A shopping list shortcut on the home screen may also take you directly to the feature.
- Select Shopping. You should see the entries in the native Alexa shopping list. If you asked Alexa to add something to a named custom list, open that list instead.
- Read the active items before checking anything off. A tap on an item's completion control changes its status. Simply opening the list is enough to view what you need to buy.
Amazon's instructions for marking list items complete confirm the More > Lists & Notes route. Its Alexa Lists help directory also links to the individual list-management tasks.
For a quick check, look for one item you remember adding. Confirm both its wording and the list name. Finding it in the expected list is more useful than merely confirming that the app opened successfully.
Check off groceries and find completed items
When you have picked up an item, select it to mark it complete. Amazon says selected items become gray and move to the list's Completed section. That keeps them separate from the items you still need.
For example, if your list contains milk and bread, mark milk complete after putting it in your basket. Bread should remain among the active items. If milk then seems to have disappeared, inspect Completed before adding another copy.
Completion and deletion are different actions. Use completion when you want to track what you have collected. Read the item's menu carefully before choosing a command that removes it or clears the list.
If you checked something off accidentally, open Completed and inspect the available item or completion controls. App versions can differ, so do not assume every release has a button named Restore or Undo. If you cannot return the entry to the active list, add it again and verify the new entry before shopping.
Add and manage list items by voice
You can speak to an Alexa-enabled device to add items, then read them later on your iPhone. Use the intended list name and listen to Alexa's response. A successful response should refer to the item or list you meant.
Before clearing a list, review or copy anything you still need. A clear command removes its contents; do not rely on a recoverable trash folder or an undo option. Removing one item is a better choice when only one entry is wrong.
| What you want to do | Example command |
|---|---|
| Add an item to Shopping | “Alexa, add milk to my shopping list.” |
| Add an item to a custom list | “Alexa, add napkins to my weekend party list.” |
| Remove one item | “Alexa, remove bread from my shopping list.” |
| Clear a reviewed list | “Alexa, clear my shopping list.” |
| Start a separate list | “Alexa, create a list.” |
| Display a list on an Echo with a screen | “Alexa, show me my shopping list.” |
Amazon documents these actions in Use Lists with Alexa. A screenless speaker cannot display a visual list; use the iPhone app when you want to scan several entries at once.
If an item lands in the wrong place, compare the name you spoke with the list you opened. A generic request to add groceries may not be equivalent to naming your custom “Groceries” list. Be explicit, then check the result in the app.
Create a separate list in the Alexa app
Custom lists help separate everyday groceries from a trip, party, or hardware-store visit. Choose a distinctive name that is easy to say and recognize.
- Open Alexa, then go to More > Lists & Notes.
- Select Create List. You should reach the field for the new list's name.
- Enter a clear name, such as Weekend party, and select Done.
- Open the new list and choose Add Item to enter something you need.
- Return to the list and check that the item appears under the correct name.
These steps follow Amazon's custom-list instructions. A new custom list does not automatically move entries out of Shopping.
An Echo's device name is also separate from a list name. If you need to identify a particular speaker in the app, see how to rename devices in Alexa. Renaming a speaker does not rename your grocery list.
Use the Amazon Shopping app as an alternative
Amazon also supports accessing Alexa shopping lists in the Amazon Shopping app. Check that it uses the same Amazon account, then look for Alexa Lists or the app's Lists menu. Menu placement varies, so avoid treating an old screenshot's corner or tab location as a requirement.
Open the Alexa list you want, rather than selecting a product Wish List with a similar name. An Alexa shopping list can contain plain reminders such as “milk.” A product Wish List typically stores Amazon products you may want to buy later. Your shopping cart is another separate feature.
Amazon's move-items instructions give this route for transferring an entry:
- Open Amazon Shopping and select Alexa Lists.
- Choose the list containing the item you want to move.
- Open the menu next to that item and select Move to another list.
- Choose the destination list, then open it to verify that the entry moved.
You do not need to move items simply to read your existing shopping list. If the Alexa Lists option is difficult to find in Shopping, use the Alexa app route at the beginning of this guide.
Prepare the list before leaving for the store
Open the list while you have a working connection and confirm that recent additions appear. Review the active items and Completed section so you do not mistake an old purchased item for something you still need.
If the store has poor cellular reception, take screenshots or make a separate copy of the current list before leaving. Check that all entries are included; a long list may need several screenshots. That copy is a snapshot, so it will not update when someone adds an item after you captured it.
Do not depend on guaranteed offline access or immediate syncing from every app version. When you regain connectivity, reopen the live list and check for changes. A screenshot can preserve what you saw, but it cannot serve as a shared, editable list.
Amazon says household members can capture needs through Alexa and share the shopping list by text message or email. If you use the sharing option offered by your app, review the recipient and the contents before sending. Read what the invitation or sharing screen actually allows instead of assuming it always grants live editing access.
Optional: add an Alexa shopping list widget
A widget can make the list easier to reach from the iPhone Home Screen if your installed Alexa app offers a shopping list widget. The available widgets, sizes, and interactions can change. Check your phone's widget picker rather than assuming every version offers the same controls.
- Touch and hold an empty area of the Home Screen until the apps jiggle.
- Tap Edit > Add Widget. Older iOS layouts may show a + button to open the picker.
- Look for Amazon Alexa and a shopping list widget. If it is offered, select an available size and tap Add Widget.
- Tap Done, then inspect the widget and open it to confirm which list it shows.
Apple's current widget guide documents the Home Screen controls. If Alexa's shopping widget is absent, update and open the Alexa app, then check again. You can still use the full app even if the widget is unavailable.
Today View and Lock Screen widgets are different locations. Apple describes swiping right from the Home Screen or Lock Screen to reach Today View. Do not assume that a Home Screen Alexa widget is also available in the Lock Screen's separate widget area.
Fix missing lists, items, or updates
Lists & Notes is missing
Check More, any Lists label, and any shopping list shortcut on Alexa's home screen. Update the app if an update is available, open it again, and follow labels rather than an old image's exact button placement. Use Amazon's Alexa Lists help directory if your account's interface remains different.
The list is empty or an item is missing
First check the Amazon account, the selected list name, and Completed. Then confirm that your phone has a working connection. If the app and Echo use different accounts, seeing different entries is not proof that Alexa deleted the list.
When you can safely do so, add one clearly named test item to the intended list and reopen it. If that appears, compare the wording of your earlier request. Avoid clearing lists or factory-resetting an Echo as a first attempt to find missing groceries.
You can also review Alexa voice history to check what Alexa understood. Reading or deleting a recording is separate from managing the shopping item created by that request.
Items appear in Alexa but not in AnyList or another app
Older instructions for syncing third-party apps directly with Alexa's lists can be outdated. AnyList reports that Amazon shut down the List Skill API on July 1, 2024. That API allowed list apps to synchronize with Alexa's native lists.
AnyList's updated skill uses commands beginning with “ask AnyList” or “tell AnyList.” Its example is “Alexa, ask AnyList to add apples to my grocery list.” Without the skill name, Alexa may add the item to its own list instead. See AnyList's current integration notice, including its stated recognition issue outside the United States.
Check the current documentation for the particular app and country you use. Do not assume an old IFTTT recipe or another app's former Alexa integration still transfers items. For the native list, return to Alexa's Shopping screen; for a separate list app, verify that app's own supported command and result.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to be near my Echo to see the list?
No. The iPhone app provides access to the account's list, so you can view it away from the speaker with a working connection. Use the account associated with the Echo and open the intended list.
Does adding an item buy it from Amazon?
Adding an item to the shopping list records the entry. It is separate from ordering a product, adding a product to a cart, or completing checkout. Check Alexa's response and the list itself if a request was misunderstood.
Why did a checked item disappear?
Look in Completed. Amazon says marked items become gray and move there. If you are searching for an active grocery, verify that you did not already mark it complete.
Can I open the list in Safari?
Use the Alexa or Amazon Shopping app for the routes covered here. Amazon's current voice-list help mentions browser list management with Alexa+; older instructions for the former Alexa web interface should not be treated as a universal current route. Browser availability and the account's Alexa version can differ.
Open Shopping now and verify one recent item. Once the list is correct, keep it available on your phone, check items off as you collect them, and review Completed before adding something a second time.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.