How to Set Up Alexa Guard to Protect Your Home When You’re Away

Nelson Régo

6 years ago

Amazon has announced a new ‘Alexa Guard’ feature that works to protect your home while you’re away.

Guard is an Alexa feature that helps you keep your home safe. When you set Guard to Away mode, if an Echo device detects the sound of smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, or glass breaking, Alexa can send you Smart Alerts, via notifications to your phone. If you have a Ring, ADT Pulse, or ADT Control security system, Alexa can also arm your system when you set Guard to Away mode, and you can opt to forward Smart Alerts to your security provider. And if you have connected smart lights, Alexa can automatically turn them on and off when Guard is in Away mode to make it look like someone is home.

If an Echo device detects a selected sound, Alexa will send you a Smart Alert to let you know which sound was detected along with a 10-second audio clip sample of that event. You can play the detected sound from your Alexa app, or Drop In on your Echo remotely to investigate what’s happening in your home. You can also choose to forward Smart Alerts you receive to Ring or ADT.

Start by setting up Guard in the Alexa app. Then say, “Alexa, I’m leaving” to set Guard to Away mode.

Get Smart Alerts:

Alexa can send you Smart Alerts, via phone notifications, if your Echo device detects the sound of smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, or glass breaking. Play the detected sound from your Alexa app, or Drop In on your Echo remotely to investigate what’s happening.

Use Away Lighting:

Alexa can automatically turn compatible smart lights on and off to make it look like someone is home.
Integrate with Ring or ADT: Alexa can arm your Ring or ADT security system. You can also choose to forward Smart Alerts you receive to Ring or ADT.

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Turn on Away Lighting

With Away Lighting, Alexa can automatically turn compatible smart lights on and off to make it look like someone is home. Away Lighting works with connected smart lights, plugs, and switches that are Works with Alexa-certified.
. When you set Guard to Away mode, Alexa can arm your Ring Alarm. Additionally, get quick access to the Ring app when you receive a Smart Alert for a selected sound. From the Ring app, you can request dispatch of emergency responders if you have professional monitoring with Ring Protect Plus—just $10/month with no cancellation fees, long-term commitments, or hidden costs.

When you set Guard to Away mode, Alexa can arm your ADT security system. You can also set up automatic forwarding of Smart Alerts for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms so ADT can dispatch first responders in the case of an emergency.

How To get started with Alexa Guard:

Open the latest version of the Alexa app
Navigate to the Settings menu
Select Guard to begin setup

What sounds can Alexa detect?

While Guard is in Away mode, the Echo devices in your home can detect and notify you about the sound of smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, or glass breaking. You can choose which sounds you want Alexa to notify you about during Guard setup.

How do I switch between Home mode and Away mode?

Once you set up Guard, just say “I’m leaving” to switch to Away mode. The light ring on non-screen Echo devices will animate with a rotating white light and screen devices will show a shield icon on the home screen to indicate when Guard is in Away mode. Say “I’m home” to switch Guard to Home mode. You can also toggle between modes in the Guard section of the Alexa app.

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How does Alexa detect selected sounds?

In Away mode, Echo devices can detect the sounds of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and glass breaking using the same technology used to detect the wake word (for example, “Alexa”). If an Echo device detects an acoustic pattern that matches the selected sound, Alexa will send you a Smart Alert. Alexa is always getting smarter, and her ability to accurately detect specific sounds will improve the more you use Guard.

What happens when Alexa detects a selected sound?

If an Echo device detects a selected sound, Alexa will send you a Smart Alert to let you know which sound was detected along with a 10-second audio clip sample of that event. Play the detected sound from your Alexa app, or Drop In on your Echo remotely to investigate what’s happening in your home. You can also choose to forward Smart Alerts you receive to Ring or ADT.

How does Guard work with ADT?

When you set Guard to Away mode, Alexa can arm your ADT Pulse or ADT Control security system. Alexa can also forward Smart Alerts for detected sounds to ADT to enhance ADT’s monitoring coverage of your home. Choose whether to automatically forward Smart Alerts to ADT, or manually forward them on a case-by-case basis, during Guard setup.

How does Guard work with Ring Alarm?

When you set Guard to Away mode, Alexa can arm your Ring Alarm security system. Additionally, get quick access to the Ring app when you receive a Smart Alert for a selected sound. From the Ring app, you can request dispatch of emergency responders if you have professional monitoring with Ring Protect Plus.

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Is there a monthly fee or additional cost to use Guard?

No, if you already have an Echo device, there is no additional fee or monthly contract to enable Guard. Professional monitoring services provided by ADT or Ring may have additional costs.

How does Away Lighting work?

With Away Lighting, Alexa automatically turns your smart lighting on and off to make it look like you’re home while you’re away. Alexa uses machine learning to determine the right lighting activity for your home based on lighting usage across customers. Just set Guard to Away mode and Alexa will do the rest.

What products work with Away Lighting?

Away Lighting works with connected smart lights and lights connected to smart plugs and switches that are Works with Alexa-certified. You can select which lights to include in Away Lighting within Guard Settings of the Alexa app.

Where can I review my Smart Alerts?

You can review and delete Smart Alerts in the Guard section of the Alexa app. You can also review audio recordings associated with your Guard account and delete those recordings one by one or all at once by visiting Privacy within Settings of the Alexa app or via the Alexa Privacy Settings Page.