Smart speakers are not just for playing music or checking the weather anymore. They can also help you in emergencies. Here’s how you can set up your smart speaker to assist you in case of an emergency.
Let’s start with Amazon’s Echo line of smart speakers. Unfortunately, Alexa cannot call 911 for you. However, you have two options to set up emergency contacts. You can either set up an emergency contact in the Alexa app on your phone or subscribe to Alexa’s Emergency Assist plan, which costs $5.99 a month or $59 for a year with a Prime membership. With this plan, you can add up to 25 emergency contacts, and Alexa will connect you to an agent who can call emergency services for you.
If you’re in the Google ecosystem, Google Nest speakers don’t allow you to specify an emergency contact. However, you can call anyone in your Google Contacts list. By setting up Nest Aware for $8 a month or $80 a year, you’ll get direct 911 access. You can reach 911 from any speaker screen in the Google Home app.
For Apple users, you can tell the Apple HomePod to call 911 by saying, “Hey, Siri, call 911.” Just make sure the HomePod is connected to an iPhone for this feature to work. If the HomePod can’t find the iPhone used to set it up, it will search for any other iPhones on the same Wi-Fi network to make the call.
Now, onto a fun prank you can play with your smart speaker. You can ask Alexa to speak slower when no one is around and then give it the same command again. This will surely confuse anyone in the household. To return to normal, simply say, “Alexa, speak at your default rate.”
Another fun prank involves training Alexa to respond to specific questions in a humorous way. For example, you can make Alexa respond to a weather inquiry by saying, “Look out the window. You live in a glass house.” Or make Alexa declare you as the best mom in the world and instruct your child to empty the dishwasher.
It’s incredible to see how technology has evolved to the point where it can potentially save lives. Make sure to adjust your smart speaker settings to include emergency contacts and pass along this information to your loved ones. You never know when it might come in handy.