Esther C. Kane, C.D.S.Amazon’s Alexa takes another step into the future with her new feature, Alexa Hunches.
What Are Alexa Hunches?
When you activate Hunches, your Alexa device will alert you that a connected device isn’t doing what you normally ask it to do. or that something you normally do isn’t being done.
I know – it sounds a little convoluted. So, let me explain.
Let’s say you have an Alexa routine set up so that when you say “Alexa, good night,” the following five things happen…
- The tv turns off.
- The living room light turns off.
- The backdoor light turns on.
- Your Simplisafe alarm is activated to secure your home.
- The Alexa device in your bedroom begins to play music to sleep by.
Well, if something has gone wrong with the backdoor light, it doesn’t turn on for some reason.
With the Hunches feature activated, you will now be alerted to the fact that your backdoor light has not turned on.
Another example would be…
Let’s say your thermostat is connected to Alexa, and that you normally lower your thermostat every night around 10:00 pm to 70 degrees.
Well, if you forget to do that for some reason (or you aren’t home to do that) Alexa (through the Hunches feature) will do it for you.
Here’s a video that may better explain how Alexa Hunches can work for you and/or a senior loved one.
It’s an interesting feature that can help you monitor all the smart home features that you may have connected through Alexa.
While proactive hunches seem like they could make Alexa a lot more useful, having granular controls over what Alexa can automatically act on will be important. Amazon says that these automatic actions have to be turned on from the Alexa app and that you can toggle automatic actions on and off for each compatible product that Alexa has a hunch about.
The Verge
In other words – you can select what you want Alexa Hunches to work with.
Can Alexa Hunches Benefit Seniors and Caregivers?
The Hunches feature is very similar to Alexa Routines – the difference is that Hunches goes one step further in helping to identify if an attached smart home device is not working.
I do believe that setting up Routines or Hunches can really help keep seniors safer and help keep caregivers from worrying so much about their senior loved ones.
Here are some reasons why:
- Setting lights to automatically turn on / off make it easier and safer for older adults.
- Alerts to take medication or perform a task are helpful for anyone who may have trouble remembering details.
- Being alerted that a connected device is not working is good for just about anyone (don’t you think?)
- Waking up to music or news, time of day and the date are a good way for anyone who is retired and may forget the date.
- Given calendar reminders for tasks and events is also a great way to use Routines.
I am sure that you and your senior loved ones will come up with your own unique set of Alexa Routines and ways to use Alexa Hunches to help make your own lives easier and safer.
Here are 27 Alexa skills that we believe are beneficial for seniors.
How To Turn On / Turn Off Alexa Hunches
The steps to turn the Hunches feature on or off are pretty simple.
- Open your Alexa app on your smart phone.
- Click on “More” on the bottom right hand side of your screen.
- Click on “Settings”
- Scroll down and click on Hunches
- Click on “Settings”
- Under “Suggestions” choose to either turn Hunches on or off
All in all, it seems that Amazon’s Alexa is doing all it possibly can to integrate into our daily lives!
I suppose it’s up to us to decide if we want to use it or not.
