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Whether you are going on a long drive or for a family vacation, you always need to ensure that you have locked all the doors, turned off any inflammable machine, etc. In short, you need to be sure that your home is safe even without your presence. As an Amazon Echo user, you can leave all the security tasks behind and go for a vacation at any time. Your smart speaker is equipped with a few built-in security features that are great for protecting your home. Many people don’t commonly know these features. So, if you’re packing your bags for heading out of the house for a few hours or days, make sure you ask Alexa for these features:

Alexa Guard

This built-in feature uses the microphone installed in Echo for listening to unusual activities, like door unlocking, window breaking, etc. You have to enable this feature from the Alexa app. Follow the steps to do that:

  1. Open the Alexa app menu and go to Settings.
  2. At the bottom of this page, click on Guard.
  3. Select Set Up Guard and tap on the Add button to allow Alexa to send Smart Alert notifications.
  4. Tap the Confirm button and save the settings.

When you leave your house, command Alexa by saying, “Alexa, I’m leaving” to activate Alexa Guard. To deactivate, say, “Alexa, I’m home.” Alternatively, tap on the green Home button to turn on Alexa Guard. 

Alexa Drop-In

This is a great feature that works better if you have multiple Amazon smart speakers at your home. It will allow you to listen and see the unusual happenings at your home immediately. To use this feature, open the Alexa app and click on the Communicate icon. Then, tap on Drop-In and choose the Echo speaker you want to use to see and listen to the activities. Please note that you will be able to see the movements only if your Amazon smart speaker has a camera. 

Away Lighting

This is the best feature to use when you go for a long vacation. The Away Lighting feature will enact like everyone is home, similar to how Kevin acted in the Home Alone movie. Away Lighting will keep the lights on or off according to the settings you made to keep the thieves away. To use this feature, you must have compatible smart light, switch, or plug. Use the following steps to make settings:

  1. On the Alexa app, go to Settings.
  2. Click on Guard and tap on the gear at the top-right corner of your screen.
  3. Click on Lights and you’ll be asked to make sure your smart accessory type is set to “light” in device settings. 
  4. Go to the device settings link to find the list of your smart accessories.
  5. Click on ‘Select All’ and save the settings.

These settings will ensure overall security and safety. For the Alexa Guard setting, make sure you let your roommate or family know about the changes, or you might end up getting multiple notifications in their presence. And, if you don’t have smart lights and accessories that are compatible with Amazon Echo, then check Amazon for it.

Source-Amazon Echo Security Features

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