First announced in 2019, Alexa Guard brings a second layer of protection to your smart home by listening to certain sounds that indicate an emergency. The service has some limitations, but Amazon addresses the shortcomings with Alexa Guard Plus – a premium subscription that offers tons of improved features. But what exactly is the difference between Alexa Guard and Alexa Guard Plus? We break it down in this guide.
What is Alexa Guard?
Alexa Guard listens for the sounds of broken glass, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors. During setup, you can specify which sounds you want Alexa to listen for, so if you only want Alexa to listen for breaking glass and not fire alarms, you can specify that preference.
Once you’ve set up Alexa Guard, just say, “Alexa, I’m leaving,” to switch to remote mode. This puts Alexa on alert and ready to monitor your home.
When Alexa hears a dangerous sound, the assistant will send a 10-second audio clip to your phone. You can decide what to do with that clip. You can use the drop-in feature to listen in your home to check what’s going on, or you can call the emergency services for help.
Alexa Guard integrates with several alarm systems (Ring Alarm, ADT Pulse, ADT Control, and Scout Alarm), and Alexa can send smart alerts to your provider. However, the Alexa Guard service is not a substitute for a security system, as it is not integrated 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 that Alexa Guard offers, and it can also listen for additional sounds, such as activity noises.
Alexa Guard Plus can also play sounds (like a siren or a barking dog) to deter unwanted visitors. The biggest benefit of Guard Plus is probably the available emergency helpline. You can say, “Alexa, call for help,” and you’ll reach a trained emergency response agent who can help you request 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 costs $5 per month (or $50 per year), while Alexa Guard is a free service. Alexa Guard Plus provides hands-free calling to an emergency helpline, while Alexa Guard does not provide helpline service. Alexa Guard only listens for breaking glass and fire and CO alarms, while Alexa Guard Plus listens for additional noises and also plays noises to deter potential intruders.
The free Alexa Guard and Alexa Guard Plus services are both available for use today. If you’re a Ring Protect subscriber, “Alexa Guard Plus subscription is free for US Ring Protect Plus plan subscribers after linking your Ring and Amazon accounts. Ring Protect Plus plans are available through Amazon .com and Ring.com for $10 a month or $100 a year.
If you want to use the Alexa Guard service, it is available on Echo smart speakers and smart displays such as 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? Just open the Alexa app, navigate to In addition menu, then select Settings. From here, click on Guard. This will take you through the steps required to sign up for Alexa Guard Plus.
Eventually you’ll be asked to enter an emergency address – and remember you’ll need a device that supports Guard Plus (like one of the Echo products listed above). Once all these steps are completed, your Guard Plus coverage will automatically start.
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