Can Alexa Call 911? Learn the Truth and Stay Prepared
Though Amazon Alexa started its journey as a one-stop shop for communication, it has ultimately become our best friend. You can use it for virtual assistance in your living room, bedroom and kitchen. You can ask it to call someone or play music throughout your house. But you may have this question in mind, can Alexa call 911?
Some of you might have tried and failed, and therefore wondered, what is wrong with your Alexa? Many of you might haven’t tried it as you’re unsure of this particular service. However, now that you’ve landed on the right page, read on to learn the right answer to your question.
Can Alexa Call 911?
The answer to this straightforward question is no. No matter how inconvenient it may seem, you can’t call emergency services like 911 using Alexa in most cases. When it comes to the USA, the reason is regulatory compliance. According to the FCC rule, to call 911, the calling device has to provide both a callback number and location data.
Though both are theoretically feasible for Alexa, unfortunately, Amazon has decided not to implement these features. For this reason, whenever you need to call an emergency number, you usually have to use a cellular or landline phone.
How to Set Up an Emergency Alexa Contact
Just because you can’t use Alexa for emergencies, there isn’t any reason to be disheartened. You can always attach an emergency contact to your Alexa accounts, such as a family member, a neighbor, or even a doctor. As you contact that person, you can ask them to call 911 emergency services and/or come to your help.
Here are the steps you need to follow if you want to add and use an emergency contact in Alexa:
- From Android, iPhone, or iPad, open the Alexa app.
- Tap the Communicate tab located at the bottom panel.
- Now, tap on the contacts icon that looks like two people at the top-right corner.
- Tap the three-dot menu and select Emergency Contact.
- Henceforth, you need to follow the prompts to choose an existing contact as your emergency contact or create a new one.
- After adding the contact, you can call that number by asking Alexa to call your emergency contact.
Note: Here, users can’t add 911 or similar emergency services. After you add someone, they’ll get a message that’ll inform them of your choice.
How to Use Alexa to Get Help
After the set up is complete, Alexa will be able to call and text your emergency contact through voice command. To trigger a response, you can use the following phrases:
“Alexa, call my emergency contact.”
“Alexa, call for help.”
“Alexa, call my help contact.”
“Alexa, call my contact for help.”
Remember: Your Alexa device must have a WiFI connection to function during emergencies.
Final Words
Alexa and similar smart voice assistants have become our close friends, and when in need, we often turn to them before anyone else. Many users want to know can Alexa call 911, which is a valid question, and everyone should know its answer.
By going through this post, you’ve learned whether it can call 911 and how you can set up its Emergency Contact feature. After successfully following the steps given here, you’ll be able to use your voice assistant in the most helpful way. You can also control your Fire Stick using Alexa.
