Alexa Guard: A more protected house with your Amazon Echo

The usefulness of Amazon Echo smart speakers and displays is well established, and with Alexa Guard, you take your home security up a notch.

Before you continue reading, note that this feature is not yet available worldwide, only in the USA. However, knowing Amazon’s tendency to internationalize everything, Alexa Guard will soon be available everywhere.

Thanks to Alexa Guard, we will no longer buy the Amazon Echo only out of whim, but also out of necessity.

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What is Alexa Guard?

Alexa Guard is a feature of Amazon Echo devices that allows them to use their microphones to pick up disturbing sounds such as a smoke detector, broken window, barking dog, etc.

If Alexa Guard picks up such a sound, a notification will be sent to you on the Alexa application on your phone to warn you of a danger. Alexa even gives you the option to listen to the disturbing sound in question or even start an Alexa Drop In. Alexa Drop In connects you live to your speaker at home so you can hear all the sounds live.

With an Alexa-enabled smart home alarm like Ring, you can send an alert to a security service that will take a closer look at what’s going on.

An Amazon Echo Show smart screen can also be used as a surveillance camera and allow you to see live what is happening at home, in your absence.

How much does Alexa Guard cost?

Only available in the US, Alexa Guard costs $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year

By subscribing to Alexa Guard Plus, you will also have the possibility of scaring off potential bandits by triggering a siren or fake dog barking remotely.

What makes Alexa Guard Plus very useful though, is access to a 24/7 emergency help line. So you can call for help by simply saying “Alexa, call aid”. The police, fire department or an ambulance will come.

How to Activate Alexa Guard?

Alexa Guard is disabled by default on all Amazon Echo smart speakers and displays. To enable Alexa Guard, grab your smartphone and open the Alexa app. From the More menu on the right, choose Settings, then scroll down and enable Guard.

Take the opportunity to configure how you want your Alexa Guard to behave when it detects something suspicious.

Once you’ve enabled and set up Alexa Guard, you can use it by saying the phrase “Alexa, I’m leaving” in front of your Amazon Echo speaker or smart display. Once back, just say “Alexa, I’m home” and Guard Mode will be disabled.

Until this feature becomes available globally, people outside the US can use a Ring doorbell and their Amazon Echo speaker to detect movement and play dog barks to chase away intruders.

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