Amazon Alexa Now Offers New Security Features

Amazon Alexa Now Offers New Security Features

Amazon Alexa users that enable Alexa Guard on their smart speakers can now take advantage of a few security features.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • May 16, 2019

Those who have the Amazon Alexa smart smart speakers already installed in their home can now take advantage of new security features at no additional charge.

Amazon Alexa users who download and enable the Alexa Guard app now have access to new features like "Smart Alerts" that tells the Echo speakers to listen for the sound of breaking glass or a smoke or carbon-monoxide alarm going off while you are away. 

The speaker is now able to recognize these sounds and send a push notification to warn you that there might be trouble at home so that you can respond appropriately. 

Alexa Guard can operate on its own, or in conjunction with other popular smart home security products such as Ring, ADT Pulse and ADT Control. When paired with Ring or ADT, the Alexa can send a message directly to the professional monitoring service, which will then be able to determine if it is appropriate to notify emergency-response services. 

In addition to the sound detection features, Alexa Guard can also be used to trigger light patterns. User's can pair their smart lightbulbs with the app and give a command such as, "Alexa, I am leaving," and the smart bulbs will react and the speakers will turn on to listen for any unusual sounds.

While the Alexa Guard app has been available since late 2018, it was not available on older versions of the smart speakers. The service now can be enabled on all models of Amazon Alexa.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Tradeshow Work Can Be Fun

    While at ISC West last week, I ran into numerous friends and associates all of which was a pleasant experience. The first question always seemed to be, “How many does this make for you?” Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West

  • New Report Says 1 in 5 SMBs Would Be Forced to Shutter After Successful Cyberattack

    Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) play a crucial role in the U.S. economy, making up 99.9% of all businesses and contributing to half of the nation's GDP. However, these vital economic growth drivers face an escalating threat—cyberattacks that could put them out of business. Read Now

  • The Yellow Brick Road

    The road to and throughout Wednesday's and Thursday's ISC West was crowded but it was amazing. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West

  • An Inside Look From Napco at ISC West

    Get a look into the excitement at ISC West 2025 from Napco. Hear from some of their top-tech executives live from the show floor. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West

  • Upping the Ante

    I am not a betting man in terms of cards, dice, blackjack or that wheel with the black marble racing around the circumference of a spinning wheel, but I would bet on the success of ISC West this year. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West
Most   Popular

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.