Alexa Guard and Guard Plus explained: How it works with Echo and Ring devices

(Pocket-lint) - In the past, information systems for homes utilized to beryllium prohibitively expensive. But present - acknowledgment to user affable smarthome products - it's a overmuch much accessible market. In fact, if you're successful the close state you could conscionable usage the Echo device you already own.

Amazon offers an Echo-driven astute location information strategy called Alexa Guard. It allows your Echo instrumentality to perceive for imaginable signs of an emergency. It besides works with a subscription service, called Alexa Guard Plus, which provides entree to premium features, including an exigency helpline disposable 24/7.

If you’re the benignant of idiosyncratic who has a hard clip enjoying a vacation away, mostly due to the fact that you’re disquieted astir what’s going connected astatine home, this caller diagnostic could assistance enactment your caput astatine ease. Here's everything you request to cognize astir Alexa Guard and Alexa Guard Plus.

• How to crook connected and usage Whisper Mode connected your Alexa device

What is Alexa Guard?

It's straightforward: What if the Echo speakers successful your location could observe threats and past assistance marque you instantly alert of them?

That's the full constituent of Alexa Guard, an Alexa-powered diagnostic that uses existing far-field mics successful Amazon Echo devices to intimately perceive for solid breaking, footsteps, oregon the dependable of alarms coming from fume oregon CO detectors erstwhile you're distant from home. Alexa Guard tin besides power your astute lights connected and off, mimicking your mean usage to marque it look similar you’re astatine home. It adjacent works with the caller Ring Car Alarm, helping alert you to imaginable conveyance break-ins.

What is Alexa Guard Plus?

Alexa Guard Plus is simply a premium subscription work for Alexa Guard.

It adds a fewer caller features that marque the work much effectual astatine protecting your location and deterring imaginable intruders, arsenic good arsenic offering a 24/7 exigency helpline. Amazon said the work volition afloat enactment hands-free calling and volition beryllium staffed by trained agents "24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year".

Other caller features to Alexa Guard Plus see improved sound detection, allowing your Alexa-enabled devices to observe the sounds of everything from babies crying to footsteps, and it tin play the sounds of dog's barking if it sees intruders coming adjacent your beforehand doorway via a Ring device. 

Alexa Guard Plus successful Away Mode

Alexa Guard was made with the thought that it would beryllium guarding your location portion you're away, and Guard Plus builds connected that thought successful immoderate large ways. 

When acceptable to distant mode, Guard Plus volition perceive for immoderate sounds that shouldn't beryllium successful your location portion it's empty. If it detects anything, it volition nonstop you a notification. Alexa tin besides play noises that enactment arsenic a deterrent specified arsenic dogs barking. In circumstances wherever it's necessary, Alexa tin telephone into the exigency Guard Plus helpline successful bid for you to get trained assistance from a idiosyncratic to woody with a situation. Then that cause volition beryllium capable to interaction exigency services if they are needed.

How to alteration Alexa Guard

Enable Alexa Guard

First, you person to alteration the diagnostic successful the Alexa app connected your iOS oregon Android.

1. Open the Alexa app.
2. Go to Menu (three enactment icon) > Settings.
3. Scroll down and prime the Guard option.
4. It'll inquire you to corroborate and participate your zip codification to usage the Away Lighting aspect.

Note: The Alexa app uses your zip codification for Away Lighting, truthful it tin smartly crook connected your lights erstwhile it's nighttime successful your neighborhood.

How does Alexa Guard work?

Activate Alexa Guard with a dependable command

Once you've enabled the diagnostic successful the Alexa app, say, “Alexa, I’m leaving” to your Echo. This volition power Guard to Away mode, and past it volition nonstop Smart Alerts to your telephone if it hears thing similar a fume alarm oregon the dependable of solid breaking. These notifications volition see an audio clip, truthful you tin perceive for the sound yourself. You volition besides beryllium fixed the enactment to Drop In connected your Echo device.

In bid for Alexa to accurately place the dependable of a model shattering, Amazon said it had a squad interruption hundreds of antithetic types of windows with objects similar crow bars, hammers, bricks, and more. Using instrumentality learning, it was capable to thatch Alexa however to perceive and recognise these types of sounds truthful that it tin amended recognize erstwhile to alert you of a imaginable break-in oregon hazard.

Which Echo devices enactment Alexa Guard?

All generations of Amazon Echo devices enactment Alexa Guard.

• Amazon Echo
• Amazon Echo Dot 
• Amazon Echo Plus
• Amazon Echo Show
• Amazon Echo Spot
• Amazon Echo Input

Will Alexa Guard enactment with Ring oregon different information systems?

Yes. Alexa Guard tin beryllium acceptable up to enactment with your existing location information system. It works with Ring (including Ring Car Alarm), ADT Pulse, and ADT Control information systems. In fact, if you person a nonrecreational monitoring work done Ring oregon ADT, you tin guardant Smart Alerts to your information company.

Is Alexa Guard escaped to use?

Yes. Alexa Guard is perfectly escaped to use. However, successful the US, you tin upgrade to the Alexa Guard Plus subscription work for $4.99 a period (or $49 for an yearly subscription) for added benefits. You volition besides beryllium capable to effort Alexa Guard Plus for escaped for 1 period erstwhile it becomes available.

When volition Alexa Guard and Alexa Guard Plus beryllium available?

Alexa Guard and Alexa Guard Plus are already unrecorded successful the US. It's not disposable successful the UK currently. 

Want to cognize more?

Check retired Amazon's FAQ leafage here.

Writing by Maggie Tillman. Editing by Cam Bunton. Originally published connected 14 May 2019.