What Is an Alexa Emergency Contact?

Alexa attempts to call and text your emergency contact when you or someone in your house says, "Alexa, call for help."

After you set up Alexa Communications, you can assign a contact as an emergency contact in the Alexa app. After you select a contact, a message is sent to that number informing the recipient they've been selected as your emergency contact.

Alexa attempts to call and text your emergency contact when you use any of the following phrases:

  • "Call for help."
  • "Call my emergency contact."
  • "Call my contact for help."
  • "Call my help contact."
  • "Help."
  • "I need help."

If your emergency contact misses your call, your contact can use the Alexa app to call your Echo device.

Note:
  • This service is not a substitute for emergency response services or 999.
  • If anyone from your household asks Alexa to call for help (including from devices in Amazon Kids mode), Alexa attempts to call and message your emergency contact.
  • If your Echo device isn't connected to Wi-Fi or the phone number is incorrect, Alexa is unable to call or text your emergency contact.
  • If your emergency contact opts out from receiving messages, or they have a landline number that doesn't support SMS, Alexa is unable to text them.
  • Alexa calling doesn't support calls to the following types of numbers:
    • Emergency service numbers (for example "999")
    • Premium-rate numbers
    • Three-digit numbers / abbreviated dial codes
    • Dial-by-letter numbers
    • Special characters or extension numbers (for example “4255551234;,,” or “4255551234,567”)

Related Help Topics