Away Mode

Protect your home with this awkward Alexa skill

3 followers

Away Mode is an Alexa skill that tricks unwanted visitors into thinking someone insufferable is home.
Away Mode gallery image
Away Mode gallery image
Launch Team
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What do you think? …

Daniel Greenberg
Hey Product Hunters 👋 @gabriel_whaley and I are super excited to share this new Alexa skill with the community. We teamed up with Hippo Insurance and writers from SNL and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia to build this skill. Alexa skills can be used for so many pointless things, like telling you facts about eggs, and making fart noises 💨 but today we are launching a funny, but useful, skill. Simple say “Alexa, enable away mode”, and one of seven hilariously cringe-worthy, yet believable, tracks of fake conversations will play. Turn the volume up, and feel comfortable leaving your apartment, knowing that any potential robber will be scared off, thinking someone is still at home and is absolutely insufferable. We will be here all day to answer questions, listen to your feedback, or just talk about what’s on your mind 🙏
Hamilton Greene
@gabriel_whaley @15greenberg Alternatively, could there be a mode where it only starts the track if it hears something? Kinda like a normal alarm where you don't have it go off unless there's something that triggers it. Maybe slightly less "safe", but also may keep your neighbors from trying to avoid "that person in 7B" at all costs.
Daniel Greenberg
@sirhamy interesting thought - thank you for the feedback
William Stoy
Whenever I leave my house for a few hours or more, I make complex, random light schedules, set my tv to play the sopranos (for the constant shouting and menacing tone), and hire someone from Craigslist to move cardboard cutouts of my family behind lit curtains to fool would-be-intruders. It’s a pain in the butt to be honest. This would be a godsend if it works.
Daniel Greenberg
@william_stoy I am proud to say that it does work!!
Astghik A
Funny skill though :))) Do you pre-record anything, so that Alexa plays it in the stay away mode?
Daniel Greenberg
@astghik_azaryan yep! All 7 tracks were written in house and recorded in house.
Astghik A
@15greenberg I see, And the recorded texts are only in English?
Daniel Greenberg
@astghik_azaryan it is only english.. for now 😏
Roland Clifford
I get it ))
Daniel Greenberg
@roland_hovsepyan I’m glad 🤗
Amy Soyeon Kim
My mom would love this - she lives alone and is in and out of her place a lot. Nice!
Daniel Greenberg
@amysoyeonkim it's made for everyone
Chris Dancy

If you work alone this app is the best background noise. All the benefits of company without the company!

Pros:

Simple, smart, fun.

Cons:

None so far

Mark Johnson

Most people might have thought, hey that's silly idea and stop there. But no, these folks made it. And it's real, and actually has a use. Gotta love when that happens. Makes the world just a touch more fun to be in.

Pros:

Fun, Silly, Useful

Cons:

I just found out about it.

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