Amazon is rolling out its Alexa Guard feature for Echo devices in the United States. This follows an invite-only preview of the feature which was launched a few months back. What Alexa Guard essentially does is listen for signs of potential danger in your home when you’re away. It can be enabled by simply telling the Echo device that you’re out and it will then start listening for signs of trouble.
Just say “Alexa, I’m leaving,” when you’re heading out the door and Alexa Guard will be enabled. It will keep an ear out for things like the sound of glass breaking or a smoke alarm being activated.
If it picks up on something like that, Alexa will send out smart alerts with audio snippets to notify you. Those who have an Echo Show will receive a link for the live video so they can see for themselves what’s going on.
Alexa Guard can even copy your daily use of smart lights, switching them on and off to make it seem like you’re at home. Amazon does point out that Alexa Guard isn’t meant to replace your home security system since it can’t alert the authorities. However, it does make an Echo device that much more useful compared to a Google Home, for example.
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