Although some may find Alexa Intruder Alerts a source of inspiration for memes and jokes, it still could come in handy for others. An intruder alert is a typical Alexa Routine set up by the user and triggered manually in case of an intrusion. The routine could be a voice alert, siren sound, or anything else that you think might scare off a burglar.

If you believe setting up an Intruder Alert can deter unwanted visitors and better protect your home from intruders, please continue reading to learn how to do it.

A Little Bit of History

The story goes back to Jan 2019 when a Redditor posted a screenshot of his Alexa Routine titled “Alexa, intruder alert”. The routine would turn on red lights, saying “Resistance is futile, Time to die” followed by Imperial March music from the Star Wars. Soon the community flooded with photos, videos, and memes that were variations of the original idea. There was one thing in common though; the wake command.

How To Set Up Alexa Intruder Alert

You can set up the intruder alarm easily in a few steps. You need to do it through the Alexa app; just like any other routine setup. The main downside is that since it’s voice-activated, you won’t be able to make it work when you’re not home. In other words, you and the burglar must be in the same place at the same time! Okay then, Let’s begin.

Open the Alexa App
Go to the “Routines”
On the right bottom of the screen tap “More”, from the new page tap “Routines”
Create new routine
Tap either of the + buttons to start creating a new routine
Define routine name
Tap “Enter routine name” and name it what suits you best. I entered “Intruder Alert” for this example. Now tap “Next”.
Define a trigger
Tap “When this happens”. Here you have several options to define a trigger for your intruder alert. I’ll choose “Voice” and enter “Intruder alert” as I want to activate the alert by saying this phrase, just like the original one. You may want to choose something else, that’s totally fine.
Choose your first action type
Tap the “Add action” button. There are many actions to choose from. I want to have Alexa saying a custom phrase, so I’ll select “Alexa Says” and then go for a customized option
Save your first action
Now I define my preferred phrase, something like “Get out of my house”! Then tap “next” and “next” again to confirm the message
Select second action type
Defining just one action will do the job, but you can define as many actions as you want. I’d like to involve one of my Alexa-compatible gadgets this time. So let’s tap “Smart Home”
Define second action type
For me, it’s just the “lights”, so I’ll tap it. Here is a list of my light names that are currently connected to Alexa. I have just one named “Light bulb” so it’s my only option to choose. On the next page, I can change the light parameters like color and brightness. After I’m done setting the new values I’ll tap “Next”.
Select the device you want to activate this routine on
The “From” option lets you limit your routine access to a specific device/speaker. By default, it’s set to “The device you speak to” which means it’ll work on all of your Alexa speakers.
Save the routine
Tap “Save” to permanently store the settings and create the routine. A message will show up indicating your routine has been successfully created. Your newly created routine is now visible under the “Your Routines” section.

One of the best things about Intruder Alert is that it’s highly customizable. You can choose the actions you want Alexa to take, like turning on the light, announcing a specific message, playing an alarm sound, etc., or a combination of all. It’s up to you to create an effect that you think works best. Consider turning the light off and on nonstop, or playing a sound at max volume.

In some movies, you may have seen that Alexa says “I’m calling the police!” However, this is not true; the device does not actually call the police. But saying that is usually enough to scare away burglars.

About Alexa Guard mode

If you want your home to stay protected when no one is around, I recommend turning on Alexa Guard mode. For this, you will need Amazon Echo speakers, as they can detect sounds like windows shattering. Amazon Echo speakers can be an excellent home security system if you connect them to your smartphone.

You can choose what kind of sound to listen for, it can be anything like footsteps, breaking, or knocking. If you have a smart home, you can connect Echo speakers to other devices like lights and turn them on automatically.

Your Echo speakers can help you even if you don’t have a smart home. Connect them to your smartphone and they’ll send you an urgent notification as soon as they spot anything suspicious. You can then come home or call your neighbors and ask them to check the situation. You can also call the police so they are there before you come back.

If you want to activate Alexa wake mode, all you have to do is say: “Alexa, I’m leaving.” From that moment on, the intelligent system will monitor your home.

Final thoughts

It seems with gadgets like Amazon Echo we can protect our families without having to invest in expensive security systems. But it doesn’t mean we don’t need an entire security system. The security features offered by smart speakers are not mature enough to replace a true home security system. So If you think it’s likely that someone will break into your place you might consider installing a professional security system too.