What is Alexa Together, how much does it cost, and how does it work?

(Pocket-lint) - Amazon is introducing an Alexa Together premium subscription work that expands connected its existing Alexa Care Hub. For a fee, Alexa Together makes it easier to usage Alexa and Echo speakers to some assistance and cheque successful connected aged loved ones oregon those who request a caregiver.

What is Alexa Together and however does it work?

Amazon describes Alexa Together arsenic a caller mode to "provide enactment for your loved ones, keeping you unneurotic adjacent erstwhile you're apart". It's a subscription work that costs a monthly fee. But, for that price, you get entree to six caregiver features:

• 24/7 Urgent Response: 24/7 entree to trained agents who tin assistance your loved 1 get assistance.
• Fall Detection Response: If your loved 1 falls, Alexa tin telephone Urgent Response and notify exigency contacts.
• Remote Assist: Set reminders connected a loved one’s Echo, negociate buying lists, nexus euphony services, and more.
• Activity Feed: See snapshots of your loved one's Alexa and astute location interactions.
• Customized Alerts: Get regular alerts erstwhile your loved 1 archetypal uses Alexa, oregon if it isn’t utilized by a definite time.
• Circle of Support: Additional radical 
can enactment your 
loved one.

The astir absorbing features are Urgent Response and a Fall Detection Response. Urgent Response is fundamentally 24/7 hands-free entree to a nonrecreational exigency helpline. It allows a idiosyncratic to accidental to an Echo speaker: "Alexa, telephone for help". They volition past beryllium connected with an agent, who tin petition constabulary oregon occurrence department. Alexa volition besides nonstop a notification to the caregiver.

Fall Detection Response requires third-party hardware from Assistive Technology Services (ATS) and Vayyar. ATS’s SkyAngelCare is simply a fall-detection pendant that communicates implicit Wi-Fi to Alexa, portion Vayyar Care is simply a wall-mounted device that uses sensors and vigor waves to observe falls. Both devices alteration Alexa to inquire a idiosyncratic if they privation to telephone Urgent Response, alternatively than waiting for the idiosyncratic to inquire for help.

Beyond the upfront outgo of the instrumentality and the Alexa Together monthly subscription cost, determination are nary fees to usage SkyAngelCare and Vayyar Care.

The Remote Assist diagnostic is besides notable, arsenic it allows a caregiver entree to a person’s Alexa account, with their permission, successful bid to remotely acceptable up features - similar mounting reminders, adding contacts, creating buying lists, and linking euphony and video services.

The Activity Feed and Customised Alerts from Alexa Care Hub are present portion of Alexa Together, too. They let a caregiver to cognize if their loved 1 is up and moving around, by providing an alert successful the Alexa app erstwhile the idiosyncratic archetypal interacts with Alexa. Alexa Together works with different Alexa-compatible astute location devices to registry activity, arsenic well, including astute lights, thermostats, question sensors, and truthful on.

Finally, the quality to adhd aggregate caregivers (up to 10), done Circle of Support. This diagnostic is coming successful aboriginal 2022.

How overmuch is Alexa Together?

Alexa Together costs $19.99 a period (or $199 per year). It expands upon the escaped Alexa Care Hub service, by providing a nonrecreational monitoring work and different adjuvant features. There is simply a six-month escaped trial, but each existing Alexa Care Hub customers get a escaped twelvemonth of Alexa Together.

Does Alexa Together regenerate Alexa Care Hub?

No. Alexa Together expands upon the free Alexa Care Hub service.

While Alexa Care Hub lets you remotely cheque successful connected a loved 1 and get alerts erstwhile they archetypal usage Alexa oregon Echo devices, Alexa Together adds a nonrecreational monitoring work to the mix. It tin telephone exigency services for your loved 1 and offers autumn detection via third-party hardware.

How to acceptable up Alexa Together

Getting started

To get started, you request an Alexa Together subscription, an Echo instrumentality and Wi-Fi connection, and Amazon.com accounts for you and your loved one. They request to motion successful to their Amazon relationship and volition request a mobile telephone fig to person a verification codification during the setup process.

1. After purchasing Alexa Together, you tin commencement the setup process.
2. Your loved 1 volition get an email to corroborate the setup.
3. Once you're some connected via Alexa Together, you tin commencement utilizing each the features.

If you are the idiosyncratic providing enactment to a loved one, you lone request the Alexa app downloaded to your phone. For a amended experience, Amazon recommends the idiosyncratic providing enactment besides has an Echo instrumentality to usage features similar Alexa Calling oregon Drop In, oregon to alteration video chat.

Need much help? Download Amazon's Alexa Together Set Up Guide here.

Which Echo devices enactment Alexa Together?

All of Amazon's latest Echo devices enactment Alexa Together, though a exemplary with a camera is astir apt champion truthful you tin Drop In oregon video chat with your loved ones. Amazon is offering a six-month escaped proceedings of Alexa Together arsenic a bundle with the newest Echo Show 8, which you tin bargain here.

Also cheque out: Which Echo instrumentality is champion for you?

Where is Alexa Together available?

At launch, Alexa Together is disposable successful the US.

Want to cognize more?

Amazon has an entire FAQ leafage for Alexa Together here.

Writing by Maggie Tillman. Originally published connected 7 December 2021.