You may be wondering whether or not Alexa can call 911. Here’s how to use Alexa to help promote safety.
If you’ve got an Alexa in your home, you can use it for more than just alarms and playing music. The device can help out in an emergency, allowing you to get in contact with help if there’s an unexpected crisis. In 2023, Amazon announced it was adding an Emergency Assist feature to the device, which is a paid service to help a user connect to an agent who will call 911 for them. The device can’t call 911 directly, but it can put you in touch with someone who can call on your behalf and give out key information to emergency responders.
If you don’t want to try Emergency Assist, you can also try setting up an Echo Connect box to your landline (if you can find one, as these products are no longer available) to call for you, or using an Alexa skill like Ask My Buddy. There are also other security features you might want to try out on your Alexa like Alexa Together, a subscription for assistance for older adults.Set up Alexa Emergency Assist
Alexa Emergency Assist is a subscription service from Amazon, costing $5.99 per month or $59 per year. If you have the service and say, “Alexa, call for help,” the device will connect you to an agent, who can then contact the emergency services for you. This feature is only available in the U.S., and could be helpful for those who don’t have a phone or who need hands-free help. When the call is placed by the agent, the emergency responders will see what device the request for help came from, and can access a pre-set saved emergency address, which helps them to find you if you need help.
The system can pre-save information such as access codes for gates to your home, or basic medical information such as any allergies you have, and this information can be sent on to the emergency services by the agent.
