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Alexa Together connects to a loved one’s Echo speaker to show you their daily activity. Is it helpful or nosy?
Alexa Together is a subscription service that connects folks with aging loved ones through Amazon Echo smart speakers.
The service is still new, and we’re expecting to see new features as the year progresses.
As of now, Alexa Together is only available in the US. It’s free for the first six months, but after that, it costs $20 per month or $200 for a full year.
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Along with the subscription fee, Alexa together requires an Amazon Echo, which is up to $300 for a device, depending on which model you get.
So what does Alexa Together do? Simply put, it connects up to 10 users to another’s Amazon Echo. But it’s designed specifically for seniors and their loved ones.
So if you have an older parent, neighbor, friend, or loved one who lives alone, you can get updates on their basic activity through your Alexa app.
Here are a few key features from Together:
Katie McEntire, SafeWise.com
If you’re an older person living alone, you probably have a pretty steady routine without a ton of risky activity.
But that might not stop your kids and loved ones from worrying about you. That’s where Alexa Together could be a good middle ground to meet.
One of the benefits for you is Urgent Response through Alexa.
Just say the magic words, “Alexa, call for help,” and the service will connect you with either one of your emergency contacts or Amazon’s help service who can call for police, fire, or medical services.
And if you opt for one of the compatible fall-detection devices, your Echo can automatically detect if you fall and can’t get up.
Beyond emergency help, you can set your own daily routines with Alexa—including reminders, appointments, and shopping lists. Your family can also send things like music to you through your Echo, and if you opt-in to the new "remote assist" feature, they can set up Alexa routines for you too.
With the right gear, you train your Amazon Echo to detect falls as they happen. As of now, there are only two devices compatible with Alexa Together:
Katie McEntire, SafeWise.com
If your parents or other older loved ones live alone, it can be hard not to worry about them. Alexa Together is another way to keep in touch with them and feel confident that their day’s going as planned.
Through the Alexa app, you can see updates on their activity. You won’t get specifics like what questions they asked or devices they turned on, but you’ll see that they’re moving through their day as normal.
And, like we mentioned before, if they fall or need help and can’t reach their phone, they can call you or emergency services through the Echo hands free.
Along with an activity feed and voice-activated Urgent Response, you can send reminders to your loved ones for things like appointments, medications, or even just messages to tell them you’re there and you love them.
So if you live far from your mom or dad and want some extra help, you can add spouses, siblings, or anyone they trust to check in through Alexa Together.
Katie McEntire, SafeWise.com
Does giving the reins to your Amazon Echo over to someone else make you a little nervous?
On one hand, we can’t help but feel a little cynical about this service. Is it any more helpful than simply calling your parents or using a medical alert button? Or is it a clever way to get seniors and their loved ones to interact with their speaker more often?
But on the other hand, if your aging parents use their speaker a lot already, it could be a good way to get that confidence that they’re up, moving, and everything’s normal.
You won’t know what they asked the speaker, if they turned on a light, or if they moved by it. You’ll just know they’re going about their day and everything’s okay.
All of that seems about standard for a service like this. And while we originally had some concerns about calls going to the Alexa Emergency Helpline, we're breathing a little easier once Amazon announced that calls from Together subscribers are now routed through one of the biggest names in medical alert monitoring: Lively.
Alexa Together is a growing and developing service that will see changes and new features in the coming years, so it’s hard to judge it too harshly now. We think anything that can help folks live at home independently longer is ultimately a good thing.
Alexa Together requires permission from both parties to monitor activity, so it’s a good idea to start with a conversation about aging in place before setting up this service with your older loved one.
As of now, the service starts with a six-month free trial, so if you have aging parents who use their Amazon Echo often, it’s worth a try. But with its limited compatibility with other devices, it might not be an adequate substitute for a full medical alert system with fall detection or wearables for seniors.
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