Amazon has announced Guard Plus, a premium version of its Guard service that turns Echo speakers and smart displays into home security devices.
Guard Plus is an upgrade to Alexa Guard, a free service that enables Alexa to listen for signs of danger while you’re out of the house and mimic your daily smart light usage.
When you set Guard Plus to Away Mode, Alexa will listen for unusual activity and push an alert if it detects any. It’ll also play warning sounds to deter potential intruders.
Alexa will also be able to call an emergency helpline on your behalf, which is staffed 24/7 by “trained agents,” according to Amazon, who can contact emergency service on your behalf.
Amazon says a number of security providers will be bundling Guard Plus with their subscription plans, including A3 Smart Home, Abode, Resideo, Ring, Scout Alarm, and Wyze. Ring Plus customers will get the service for free; everyone else gets a one-month free trial.
Amazon will start rolling out Guard Plus in the US this fall. You’ll get one month of service for free. After that, it costs $49/year or $5/month. It’ll be included with Ring Protect Plus subscriptions at no extra cost.
