Alexa owners warned of major change as popular perk is removed from the UK – and in the US you’ll now have to PAY for it

AMAZON is making some big changes to its Alexa Guard feature – something users on both sides of the Atlantic are unhappy about.

The tech giant is withdrawing the home security feature from the UK entirely, while US users will have to pay for the privilege.

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Earlier this month, UK users received an email that read: “Dear Alexa Guard customer,

“On October 31, 2023, we will end support for the Alexa Guard preview in the UK and all features will no longer be available. There are no further steps you need to take.”

“Thank you for being a valued Alexa customer.”

Brits are “disappointed” and confused about why they are missing out on a feature the US is keeping – albeit at a cost, according to comments Reddit.

The Sun has contacted Amazon for comment.

“I would guess that there is some sort of data protection law that could make it less cost effective to continue in Europe,” one user surmised.

Another wrote: “Looks like they’re moving to a subscription model for ‘Alexa Emergency Assist’.”

So far, Amazon has held back on its reasons.

“I’m absolutely disappointed with this,” wrote one disappointed Alexa owner.

“I set everything up so that when we say ‘Alexa, I’m leaving’, the alarm is automatically triggered, guarding begins and the lights in all rooms are turned off. This is a great feature!”

“I really hope the wording ‘preview’ means there will be a full version, otherwise this is a very useful feature that is disappearing for no real reason.”

Another commented: “Based here in the US. I just received an email saying the service is being moved behind a subscription-based paywall.”

“It is very unfortunate that a feature that we previously had access to for years is being further monetized.”

With Alexa Guard, Amazon’s Echo devices act as their very own watchdog at home.

The smart home Alexa device can alert owners of broken glass to prevent intruders from making off with your personal belongings.

Additionally, it can detect the sound of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors – so users will know immediately if something is wrong at home.

In the event of a possible break-in, Alexa can turn connected smart lights on or off to make it appear as if someone is home.

It can also be integrated with Ring Alarm and HomeShield security systems to really raise the alarm in the event of an intruder.

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