June 5, 2020

Latest Amazon Echo Security Features That You Must Know About

It can be tough to leave your home in a time when thefts and burglary are so common. But we have something for you that will solve this problem. No need to give second thoughts to your long-planned trips and visits to your far living family. Amazon Echo can be the watchdog you need. The Alexa Voice Assistant has 3 amazing features that will help protect your home in your absence and shoo away all your worries. Its features, like Alexa Guard, can detect if someone breaks into your house and Alexa Drop-In can let you listen in the detected voices.

Source –https://nortonnorton.uk/latest-amazon-echo-security-features-that-you-must-know-about/

So let’s get into the detailed part where we tell you everything about it.

Alexa Guard

This feature of Amazon Echo is free and built-in. It will use the device’s microphone to listen to the sound of any suspicious activity like a window breaking when you’re not home. To let Alexa do this work, you need to enable the settings. For that open your Alexa app menu and click on ‘Settings’. Now go to the bottom of the menu, choose ‘Guard’ and turn on the ‘Set Up Guard’. Do click on ‘Add’ so that Alexa can send you notifications on your phone for Smart Alerts. You will get the notifications if Alexa detects any sound of smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, or breaking glass. In the end, click on ‘Confirm’.

To activate the Alexa Guard, say “Alexa, I’m leaving” when you leave home. Make sure you say “Alexa, I’m home” once you return, to turn off the guard. In the Alexa app, you can find a green button on the home page that says ‘Home’. Clicking that will also turn on the Alexa Guard. Do remember to tell your family members or roommates that the Alexa Guard is turned on so that they can turn it off when they come home.

Alexa Drop-in

Suppose you have your Alexa Guard turned on in your Amazon Echo device and you get a notification regarding a suspicious sound. What will you do to check it? With the Alexa Drop-in feature, you can hear what’s going on in your house through the Echo device. All you need to do is open the Alexa app on your phone and click on the ‘Communicate’ icon that will appear on the bottom of your screen. Now select ‘Drop-In’ and choose the Echo device. Brownie points, if you have an Amazon Echo Show and your camera is enabled. This way, you can literally view through the device, what’s happening at your place in your absence.

Away Lighting

An old trick that our grandparents used to give an illusion that the owner was in the home was, keeping the lights turned on even when no one was home. Yes, that’s very effective. You can do the same with your Amazon Echo device. If you are planning to leave home for a long time, the Away Lighting feature makes it appear that someone’s home all the time. Just command and your Alexa with turn on and off the lights giving people a false illusion. You can easily turn on the porn light or kitchen lights. But, to make this work, ensure that you have a compatible smart light, smart switch, or a smart plug.

And you see, in just 3 easy ways you can protect your house and enjoy your trips without any tension. If you have an Amazon Echo device, you need to try these out now and if you don’t have one, this is a pretty good excuse to buy one. How can you resist it now, knowing it offers such good security features?

Alexa, protect my home!

Richard Branson is a technology enthusiast who loves writing about new advancements and IT threats on a regular basis. Her work focuses on the latest advancements in the realm of technology, social media, and cyber security at norton.com/setup.