First announced in 2019, Alexa Guard provides a second layer of protection for your smart home by listening for certain sounds that indicate an emergency. The service does have some limitations, but Amazon has addressed those shortcomings with Alexa Guard Plus — a premium subscription that offers a lot of enhanced features. But what exactly is the difference between Alexa Guard and Alexa Guard Plus? We detail them in this guide.
What is Alexa Guard?
Alexa Guard listens for the sounds of breaking glass, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors. During setup, you can indicate which sounds you want Alexa to listen for, so if you only want Alexa to listen for glass breaking and not fire alarms, you can indicate this preference.
Once you set up the Alexa Guard, simply say, “Alexa, I’m leaving” to switch to remote mode. This puts Alexa on alert and ready to protect your home.
If Alexa hears a creak, the assistant will send a 10-second audio clip to your phone. You can then decide what to do with that clip. You can use the entry feature to listen to your home to check what’s going on, or you can call the emergency services for help.
Alexa Guard integrates with some alarm systems (Ring Alarm, ADT Pulse, ADT Control, and Scout Alarm), and Alexa may be able to forward smart alerts to your provider. However, the Alexa Guard service is not a replacement for a security system, as it does not integrate as well as a more advanced system.
What is Alexa Guard Plus?
Alexa Guard Plus is a more advanced version of the Alexa Guard feature. It offers everything an Alexa Guard does, plus it can listen for additional sounds, such as activity noises.
Alexa Guard Plus can also play sounds (like a siren or a dog barking) to deter unwanted visitors. Perhaps the biggest benefit of Guard Plus is the emergency helpline available. You can say, “Alexa, call for help,” and it will reach a trained emergency response agent who can help you call emergency responders (such as an ambulance or fire department).
What is the difference between Alexa Guard and Alexa Guard Plus?
For starters, Alexa Guard Plus charges $5 per month (or $50 annually), while Alexa Guard is a free service. Alexa Guard Plus provides hands-free calls to the emergency helpline, while Alexa Guard does not provide the helpline service. Alexa Guard only listens for broken glass, fire, and carbon monoxide alarms, while Alexa Guard Plus listens for additional sounds and also beeps to deter potential intruders.
Alexa Guard Free and Alexa Guard Plus are both available to use now. If you’re a Ring Protect subscriber, your Alexa Guard Plus subscription is free for US Ring Protect Plus plan subscribers after you link your Ring and Amazon accounts together. Ring Protect Plus plans are available via Amazon.com and Ring.com for $10 per month or $100 per month. the year “.
If you want to use Alexa Guard, it works on Echo smart speakers and smart displays like the Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Plus, Echo Flex, Echo Show 5, Echo Show 8, and Echo Show 10.
How to sign up for Alexa Guard Plus
Ready to sign up for Alexa Guard Plus? Simply open the Alexa app and go to File more menu, then select settings. From here, click Protect. This will take you through the steps needed to sign up for Alexa Guard Plus.
You’ll eventually be asked to enter an emergency address — and remember, you’ll need a Guard Plus-enabled device (like one of the Echo products mentioned above). Once all of these steps are completed, your Guard Plus coverage will start automatically.
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