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Soothe Crying Babies, Barking Dogs, and Noisy Snorers

Amazon’s Alexa is more versatile than many realize, especially with its Routines feature that includes Sound Detection. This allows Alexa to perform various actions when it hears specific sounds, such as a baby crying, an appliance beeping, or a dog barking. This feature can enhance your smart home automation by creating useful routines based on sound detection.

For instance, Alexa can turn on a smart light when your dog barks in the middle of the night to deter potential intruders, or illuminate your way to your crying baby. This guide will show you how to set up Alexa sound detection routines.

Tools and Requirements

• Amazon Echo smart speaker or display
• Amazon Alexa account
• Compatible smart home devices (optional)

Steps for Setting Up Alexa Sound Detection Routines

1. Open the Alexa App
2. Create a Routine
3. Set a Schedule
4. Tell Alexa What to Do
5. Add Multiple Actions

1. Open the Alexa App

To start, open the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet. Tap on the “More” button at the bottom of the screen, then select “Routines.”

2. Create a Routine

In the Routines section, you’ll see existing routines and options to enable, disable, or modify them. Tap the “+” icon in the top-right corner to create a new routine. You’ll see the basic structure of an Alexa routine, consisting of two parts – the ‘when’ and the ‘will.’

Tap ‘Add an Event’ in the ‘when’ section, then select ‘Sound Detection.’ Here, you’ll find options for baby crying, water, coughing, beeping appliances, snoring, and barking dogs.

For example, to create a routine where Alexa turns on a hallway light when it hears a baby crying:

• Tap on “Baby Crying.”
• Select the Echo device that will detect the sound.
• Tap “Next.”

3. Set a Schedule

On the next screen, configure the routine’s schedule. For instance, set it to function every night between 8 PM and 7 AM. You can also set a cooldown period to prevent the routine from repeating within a certain time frame, adjustable from one minute to 12 hours. Additionally, you can decide whether Alexa acts immediately or only if the sound is detected for a certain duration.

4. Tell Alexa What to Do

Now, specify what Alexa should do when the sound is detected. Tap “Save,” then “Add an Action” in the ‘Alexa will’ section. You can choose actions such as saying something, playing music, controlling a smart home device, or performing a custom action.

For example, to turn on a hallway light:

• Tap “Smart Home,” then “Lights.”
• Select the desired light or group of lights.
• Choose whether to turn the light on or off, adjust brightness, and select a color.
• Tap “Save,” then “Next.”

5. Add Multiple Actions

You can add multiple actions to the same routine. For instance, you might want Alexa to:

• Notify you that the baby is crying through an Echo speaker in your bedroom.
• Play calming music in the baby’s room.
• Add the crying event to your calendar for tracking.

Similarly, you can create routines to play music when your dog barks to calm them down or play a sound when it detects snoring.

Final Thoughts

Alexa’s sound detection routines offer a range of possibilities for smart home automation. Although setting up these routines may require some fiddling, they can significantly enhance your home’s functionality and convenience. From preventing stubbed toes by turning on hallway lights when your baby cries, to adding an extra layer of security by illuminating your garden when your dog barks, sound detection routines are a valuable feature to explore and utilize.