Just say "Alexa, ask My Buddy to send help"
Within seconds of the command, your designated contacts will receive a call, text and email letting them know to check on you.
Perhaps you live solo and like the added peace of mind knowing Alexa can call your bestie or family members for help whenever you need it. Or maybe you have an elderly loved one with special needs or kids who are home alone for a couple hours after school. Since we can't predict when we or our loved ones will need help fast, I recommend that all Alexa users enable the Ask My Buddy Alexa skill.
Pro Tip: In an emergency situation, always call 911 from a phone. You cannot dial 911 through Alexa unless you have an Echo Connect set up.
Do This Now: Enable this crucial skill, and add your emergency contacts
While set-up will take you a few minutes since you need to create an Ask My Buddy account with emergency contacts, it is absolutely worth it. Follow the below steps on a computer (the mobile experience is a bit clunky):
- Tap/click here to access the Ask My Buddy Alexa skill
- Click the "Enable" button and follow the prompts to customize your settings
- Once you are automatically redirected to a login page at AskMyBuddy.net, click the "Register" button to create a new account
- Once you have successfully registered, you will be directed back to the original login screen where you will use your newly created account credentials to log in
- When logged in, go to "Contacts" in the top main menu and add 1-2 emergency contacts
- Double check that your new Ask My Buddy account is linked to Alexa. Tap/click here to access the skill's page and make sure that it does not indicate "Account linking required." You can even do a test run "Alexa, ask My Buddy for help" (just be sure to let your emergency contacts know it's a test)
Pro Tip: When you need help, just say "Alexa, ask My Buddy to send help," which will alert all of the people you added to emergency contacts in step #5 above. Don't try to specify the exact contact you want to alert -- I've found that sometimes Alexa has trouble understanding names, and when you're in the middle of a crisis you want to avoid Alexa enunciation pitfalls.
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Katherine Prescott
