Your smart speaker can detect smoke and carbon monoxide alarms – Here's how
Your Amazon, Google or Apple smart speaker has a lifesaving feature I bet you don’t know about: It can tell you if there’s smoke or carbon monoxide (CO) in your home.
The speaker can’t actually detect smoke or CO, but it can “listen” for devices that do. So, if your smoke or CO alarm goes off and you’re away from home, your smart speaker can ping your phone, saving your property, belongings and precious pets inside.
Keep in mind that your smart speaker has to be within hearing distance of the alarms. It’s not too hard; those alarms are loud.
Amazon Echo
To get smoke and CO alarm detection on any Echo speaker or display, you’ll need to sign up for Alexa Emergency Assist ($5.99 per month or $59 per year). It detects glass breakage, sends push notifications and lets you have up to 25 emergency contacts, too. It’s a great option if you no longer have a landline. In the Alexa app on your phone:
- Open the More tab and select Emergency Assist.
- Tap the gear icon to get to the feature’s settings.
- Select Smart Alerts to turn alarm detection on or off.
Google Nest
For Google Nest cameras and speakers, it’s a similar deal. It can listen for smoke and CO alarm sounds, but you have to pay for Nest Aware ($8 a month or $80 a year). It also listens for breaking glass. From the Google Home app on your phone:
- Tap Settings on the navigation bar at the bottom.
- Choose Subscriptions.
- Tap Sound detection to turn on the alerts.
Apple HomePod
Kudos to Apple for making this important feature free. You don’t need a subscription; you just need a HomePod or HomePod mini. From the Home app on your iPhone:
- Open the Home tab.
- Tap the three dots at the top right, then tap Home Settings.
- Select Safety & Security and Sound Recognition to turn it on.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
5 clever ways to use your Echo and Alexa that you’ll wish you knew sooner
When cooking, it’s easy to say, “Alexa, remind me the cauliflower pizza is done in 15 minutes.” That’s one of the most useful and basic ways to use the Amazon-owned smart assistant.
The downside is that it can pick up conversations we’d rather it didn’t. Tap or click for steps to listen to and erase any errant recordings. I do this regularly. That’s not the only vital privacy step if you have an Echo or more at home. Tap or click here to ensure your smart speakers are locked down correctly.
Alexa can listen for breaking glass, barking dogs and crying babies - Here's how to set it up
Virtual assistants are a wonderful invention. From giving you directions and cooking instructions, it can also tell you about the weather, the weekend’s sports scores and more.
In some cases, they can even help you make that sweet cup of coffee first thing in the morning. To get the attention of Amazon’s Alexa, you need to use the wake word. If you don’t explicitly ask for her undivided devotion, she’ll remain silent and dormant.