Amazon’s Alexa Guard Plus security subscription arrives in the US

Amazon’s Alexa Guard Plus subscription service is now available in the United States. The company unveiled Guard Plus in September as a paid option for those who want the extra features that come with the premium version of its free Guard service. While the basic Guard feature can already turn Echo smart speakers and displays into home security devices, its premium version goes one step further by giving subscribers hands-free access to emergency services and giving customers Alexa the power to deter intruders from breaking in.

Customers who pay for a subscription will be able to ask Alexa to call the emergency helpline to request medical, fire, or police assistance. The service also gives Alexa the ability to detect sounds of activity in the house if its residents are away and to sound a siren from Echo devices if it is. Alexa could also play the sounds of dogs barking from the speakers if the connected outdoor security cameras detect movement outside the door. Anyone can try Guard Plus for a month without paying anything, but it will cost $ 5 per month or $ 49 per year after the trial period ends.

In addition to Guard Plus, Amazon has rolled out a few other Alexa features as well. The first is Energy Dashboard, which can show users how much energy their smart devices connected to Alexa are consuming. The other is Proactive Hunches, which, as the name suggests, allows Alexa to act based on a user’s previous actions without asking for permission. Alexa could, for example, adjust the thermostat, turn down the water heater or turn on the robot vacuum if the user is not at home. The two new features are now also available in the United States and accessible through the Alexa app.