Smart homes could be the future of entertainment, day-to-day convenience, and even home security. Home assistants like the Amazon Echo’s Alexa can integrate into your home security system to make things easier and more secure. They even have some nifty little security features of their own. Let’s have a look at some of the ways you can use a home assistant like Alexa to boost your home security. 

Connecting Alexa to your home security

Using one of Amazon’s Alexa devices, you can control your entire home security system using simple voice commands aimed at Alexa, as long as all your security devices are compatible. Here are some of the security components you could link up to your Amazon Echo:

• Security cameras
• Burglar alarm
• Smart lights
• Smart locks
• Smart thermostat
• Smart smoke detectors/alarms

Any smart device that’s using the same WiFi connection as your Alexa device can easily be used in conjunction with Alexa. Find out here how to do this. You should activate skills on Alexa to determine what voice commands can be used to perform which actions. For example, you can ask Alexa to arm your home alarm as you’re leaving the house or getting into bed. 

You can also set routines, which trigger Alexa to perform a certain set of actions predetermined by you. So, you could set a bedtime routine that involves arming your alarm, locking all the doors, and switching off the lights. Alexa would perform all these actions when you tell her that it’s bedtime. 

What is Alexa Guard?

Amazon has now also introduced a mode called Alexa Guard. When you tell Alexa that you’re leaving the house, this will activate Guard Mode. This is a pre-set mode that does a number of things:

• Tells your security system that you’re leaving, prompting it to arm itself
• Sends a notification to your connected smartphone if it hears the sound of breaking glass
• Notifies you if it hears the burglar alarm or smoke alarm
• When connected to smart lights, it periodically switches these on and off to make it look like someone is home

Pretty impressive! When Alexa Guard hears a noise that it considers to be a security breach, it will send you a 10-second clip of the sound. This way, you can listen and decide if you need to call the police or if it is just a false alarm. Alexa can then learn which sounds are normal and don’t require a security notification.

If you need help linking a smart hub to your security system or are looking for security monitoring for your home, then contact Carolina Alarm today. We help keep homes safe and secure around Greensboro, Winston Salem, and Kernersville.