We all love our Amazon Echo devices. They do a lot for us, from helping us search for information to playing our favorite Alexa games and even controlling our appliances. But many of these new devices that use voice assistants always listen and track your information.
The Amazon Echo is just one digital device we use daily. Because it is a smart speaker, we can easily forget about prioritizing security and privacy.
Disabling these four features below will help protect your privacy and security while using your Amazon Echo device.
Amazon Echo Security settings
Drop In
Drop In is a feature on the Echo device that allows you to connect with family and friends who also use Alexa. Once this setting is turned on, family and friends can drop in anytime without your permission. Consider scheduling times with family and turning off Drop In when not in use.
From the Alexa app, tap Devices, select which device you want, then tap Communications. From here, you can turn off Drop In or limit it to specific devices.
Hunches
Over the past two years, Amazon has been slowly ramping up the use of Hunches, the follow-up questions Alexa asks you after interacting. Sometimes, these suggestions are helpful, for instance, offering to lock your door at night or suggesting a new way to use timers. However, they can also be disruptive, such as when you’re in the middle of a phone call and don’t want to tell your voice assistant to stop talking.
To switch off Hunches, tap More in the app, then Alexa Echo security settings, then Hunches. A simple toggle controls the feature.
Use of your voice recordings
By default, Amazon records all interactions you have with your Alexa device. Amazon states that this is for research purposes, but if you don’t want your Echo conversations recorded, you can turn this feature off by tapping “More” in the Alexa app, navigating to Settings, and selecting Alexa Privacy.
A separate page will open, where you can tap on Manage Your Alexa Data. Scroll down and switch off Use of Voice Recordings. A pop-up will ask you to confirm the action.
While you’re turning off this feature, you might also consider setting your voice recordings to automatically delete after three months, an option you can find on the same page as Use of Voice Recordings.
Amazon Sidewalk
While not yet available in all areas, Amazon Sidewalk allows you to expand your network’s bandwidth to help devices, such as your Ring Security Cams, Outdoor lights, and motion sensors, work better at home and beyond the front door. While this may sound like a cool feature, your neighbors could potentially use your bandwidth.
This feature is also enabled by default. To disable Amazon Sidewalk, navigate to More, Settings, Account Settings, and Amazon Sidewalk in your Alexa app. Tap to disable it.
Whether you have just purchased your Amazon Echo device or are interested in Amazon Echo security settings for your device or how it works, Outlook Enrichment’s adaptive technology trainers can help. Learn how to make the most of this smart speaker and protect your privacy. Contact us to get started.
