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How to Stop Alexa From Listening
Prevent your Echo from listening in or saving your conversations
By Jeremy Laukkonen Jeremy Laukkonen Writer Shoreline Community College Jeremy Laukkonen is automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles . lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on July 20, 2021 Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Smart Home Amazon Smart Home: Alexa & Amazon Echo Your Best Year Ever: College Tech Tips Appliances & Lighting Google What to Know
Press the microphone button on your Echo device to immediately stop Alexa from listening.When the button or indicator light is red, it means Alexa is no longer listening.Stop recordings being sent to Amazon: Settings in Alexa app > Alexa privacy > Manage your Alexa data > Don't Save recordings. This article explains how to stop Amazon Alexa from listening to you through your Echo devices, including instructions to disable the microphone temporarily and how to prevent Alexa from sending recordings to Amazon workers for analysis. Is Alexa Always Listening
Echo devices constantly monitor input from the microphone for the wake word. That means Alexa is effectively always listening to everything within range of the Echo microphone array. While that raises some issues regarding Alexa data privacy, it's necessary to fix these devices' core functionality. If it weren’t always listening, it wouldn’t be able to hear its wake word and respond to your commands. If you don’t want Alexa to listen in all the time, you can switch off the microphone on your Echo device. The problem with this option is it prevents you from using the Echo device. If you want to use it, you have to tap the microphone button again physically, say the device’s wake word and the command or question you want it to execute, and then press the mute button again. Does Alexa Record Conversations
Alexa regularly records your commands and uploads the audio files to Amazon for analysis, refining, and other purposes. It’s technically only supposed to do this with commands and questions following the wake word. Still, anyone who has used an Echo device for any amount of time will know Alexa tends to misinterpret random snippets of unrelated conversations as its wake word. While Alexa is always listening, it isn’t constantly recording, and it doesn't record conversations. However, it definitely can record conversations accidentally if it thinks it hears its wake word. By default, these snippets are uploaded to Amazon’s servers right alongside actual commands and questions. Can Alexa Record Conversations in a Room? How to Stop Alexa From Listening
The fastest way to stop Alexa from listening is to shut off the microphone. You have to do this manually on each Echo device you want to prevent from listening, and you can only reverse it manually. There is no voice command to disable an Echo’s microphone. Here’s how to stop Alexa from listening: Locate the microphone button on your Alexa device. Jeremy Laukkonen / Lifewire The button will look like a microphone with a strike through it or a circle with a strike through it. Press the microphone button. Jeremy Laukkonen / Lifewire Verify a short tone plays, and the indicator light has turned red. Jeremy Laukkonen / Lifewire As long as the indicator light remains solid red, it means the microphone is off, and Alexa isn’t listening. Jeremy Laukkonen / Lifewire Most Echo devices have a circular indicator light on the top or base. Echo devices that have a screen will instead show a red line at the bottom of the screen. If you want to use your Alexa, press the microphone button so it is no longer red, say the wake word and command or question, then press the microphone button again. Jeremy Laukkonen / Lifewire How to Stop Alexa From Uploading Conversations
Suppose you want to use your Alexa without pushing the microphone button all the time, but you don’t like the idea of people listening to your commands, questions, and conversations. In that case, you can disable the upload function from within the Alexa app. Your Alexa doesn’t have the processing power to understand and respond to questions and commands independently. It records and uploads every question or command you pose to Amazon’s servers for processing. There is no way to prevent that. By performing the following steps, you will instruct Amazon to delete your recordings immediately after processing and never to provide them to human workers for analysis. Open the Alexa app, and tap More. Tap Settings. Tap Alexa Privacy. Tap Manage Your Alexa Data. Tap Choose how long to save recordings. Select Don’t save recordings and tap Confirm. Scroll down to the Help improve Alexa section, and switch the Use of voice recordings toggle to the off position. Tap TURN OFF. If you use Alexa to send messages, switch the toggle or toggles in the Use messages to improve transcription section off as well. FAQ How do I stop Alexa from saying "playing from" when it connects to a device? Unfortunately, this feature can't be disabled, although many users have expressed annoyance about it. There are third-party tools that claim to solve the issue on Windows devices, but always be careful when downloading software. How do I get Alexa to stop listening to my kids? You can't get Alexa to completely ignore your kids, but you can set parental controls to stop your kids from making unauthorized purchases. In the Alexa app, tap More (three lines) > Settings > Account Settings > Voice Purchasing > enable Purchase Confirmation. Then, select Kids Skills Purchasing > turn on the Purchases Require Approval toggle. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire Can Alexa Record Conversations in a Room? How to Turn Off an Echo Dot How to Set up the Amazon Echo Show How to Connect Alexa to Your Computer How to Connect Your Android Phone to Alexa How to Use Alexa and Cortana Together Can I Call Alexa From My Phone? What Do the Echo Dot Buttons Do? Is Alexa Safe to Use? How to Fix 8 Common Alexa and Amazon Echo Issues Can You Use an Echo Dot Without Alexa? What Is Alexa? How to Play Podcasts on Alexa How to Travel With Alexa How to Fix It When Alexa says the Echo is Offline How to Put an Echo Dot in Setup Mode Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies