Can Alexa call 911? How to set up Alexa for emergencies

Alexa can not directly call 911 on its own, but it can also use external hardware and third-party skills to help you during a crisis. Equipment such as Amazon’s own Echo Connect can connect your Alexa device directly to a landline, making a call for 911 possible. Alternatively, some Alexa skills enable you to send alerts through various applications, including Ask My Buddy and My SOS Family. However, it is critical to note that these skills do not directly contact 911.

Call 911 with Echo Connect

Amazon’s Echo Connect is a seemingly failed product in the Alexa devices family that the company no longer sells. However, if you have one tucked away or you fancy purchasing one from a secondhand website such as eBay, it could be the perfect solution. Echo Connect was initially introduced as a small box that could be connected to your landline, allowing you to use your Echo devices as a speakerphone.

To set up Echo Connect, follow these steps:

1. Plug your Echo Connect into an outlet near your modem or phone jack.
2. If you need to plug in a standard telephone handset alongside Echo Connect, use a splitter adapter on the telephone jack to create two connections.
3. Next, on your smartphone, open the Alexa app.
4. Choose the Settings menu.
5. Select Add Device, followed by Amazon Echo.
6. Select Echo Connect to finalize the setup.

Once the above steps are completed, you can request that your Echo devices call any landline or mobile telephone number, including emergency service numbers such as 911. To place a call with 911 when Echo Connect is in place, say, “Alexa, call 911.”

Obtain assistance with Alexa Skills

You can use alternative methods to obtain help, but they don’t call emergency services directly. Alexa skills such as Ask My Buddy and My SOS Family allow you to effortlessly contact other individuals in the event of an emergency. In this example, we will show you how to set up the Ask My Buddy skill for use with your Alexa device. Please remember this will not contact 911 or emergency services directly.

To set up your Ask My Buddy account:

1. Visit askmybuddy.net to begin setup.
2. If you do not already have an account, click the Register button.
3. Fill out the requested information to register, including your first name, last name, email address, cell phone number, and password.
4. Once registered, you will be prompted for your login information. Enter your email address and password to sign in.
5. At the top of the page, select the Contacts tab.
6. Enter any new contacts who you want to receive an alert. Press the Save Changes button when you are finished.
7. You can now log out of the service or close your web browser.

Now that your Ask My Buddy account is created, we can add the skill to your Alexa device for easy access. Please note that the free version of Ask My Buddy will only alert up to five contacts in English, and you are limited to sending out 10 alert messages per month.

To set up Ask My Buddy with Alexa:

1. Ask Alexa the following: “Alexa, open the Ask My Buddy skill.”
2. Alexa will say she has sent a notification to your Alexa app, so proceed to your smartphone and open the Alexa app.
3. On the Home tab, there should be a card that says Action Needed — Ask My Buddy. Tap it to continue.
4. You will be prompted to sign in to your Ask My Buddy account.
5. Once you have linked your account, Alexa will note that the link was successful. Click the Done button in the upper left of the screen.

Now that Ask My Buddy has been set up, you can ask Alexa for help by saying something like, “Alexa, ask my buddy to send help,” or, “Alexa, ask my buddy to contact Michael.” The service will now send a text message and call the contact on your list to alert them of trouble. It’s best to discuss a system such as this with a few individuals in advance so your contacts know what to do when they receive the alert.

Ask Alexa to call non-emergency numbers

As another option, Alexa can call non-emergency numbers by merely asking. Again, Alexa will not be able to call 911 or emergency services, but it can reach out to one of your contacts and connect you via voice. If your Alexa app has access to your contacts, you can say something like, “Alexa, call James.” You can also ask Alexa to call a full number, such as, “Alexa, call 201-867-5309.”

Enable Alexa Guard

To raise your home security levels and receive emergency notifications while you’re away from home, enable Guard with Alexa. Installing Guard is straightforward. In the Alexa app, go to Settings, and choose Guard. It will ask a few questions to outline which features you want, like identifying breaking glass noises or listening for other suspicious sounds. 

After customizing your Guard, Alexa will begin to send notifications to your smartphone whenever your smart system hears and identifies unusual noises. You can even pair Guard with other security systems that use Alexa for more complete coverage. Depending on the devices you link to your smart system, you can check out what the security camera is seeing, set off an alarm manually, contact the police, and do other things that will keep your home safe and secure.

Whether Guard doesn’t support your current home security system or you don’t have another available, you still have the option to use Alexa’s alarm feature. This option will give Alexa the ability to sound an alarm when an intruder is detected. You can opt for an air horn, police sirens, and tornado sirens within this feature. 

We have more information on Guard available right now— visit our full guide on the capability.