Alexa Guard Plus is a subscription service offered by Amazon that expands the features and capabilities of Alexa Guard to help protect against potential emergencies at home. It provides hands-free access to an emergency helpline that can be called with just your voice, and you can speak with trained agents through your Echo device who can request the dispatch of emergency responders such as police, fire department, or ambulance based on information you provide on the call.

Alexa Guard Plus also sends alerts about activity in your home while youre away and can deter potential intruders with away lighting. If Alexa detects activity while youre away from home, such as footsteps, a door closing, or glass breaking, she can send you a Smart Alert mobile notification and play a siren on your Echo. Alexa can also notify you about the sound of smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms. From a Smart Alert, you can play back what Alexa heard or drop-in for live audio. You can then call the Emergency Helpline to request emergency services or forward the alert to a supported security provider.

Guard Plus is even better with connected smart lights and select outdoor-facing cameras. While youre away, Alexa can turn on and off smart lights you select to make it look like someone is home, and when your camera detects motion outside, Alexa can play the sound of a dog barking from your Echo to help scare off potential intruders.

Alexa Guard Plus is a more advanced version of Alexa Guard, which is a free service that listens for the sounds of breaking glass, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors. Alexa Guard Plus provides hands-free calling to an emergency helpline, while Alexa Guard doesnt provide the helpline service. Alexa Guard Plus has a fee of $5 per month or $50 per year, while Alexa Guard is free.