During Prime Day this year, you may have purchased your first Echo or added another one of the Echo-line of products (Dot, Show or Spot) to your home. While the Echo can do a lot for you, you may want to consider checking these features and settings before ending up like the Portland couple who’s Echo shared their private conversations without their knowledge.
Stop Your Echo from Listening to You All the Time
You can manually turn the device’s microphone on and off by pressing the microphone (mute) button on the top of the device. When the it lights up red, the always-on listening features will be off. Just press the button again and your Echo will work like normal.
Stop Your Echo Show or Spot from Staring at You All the Time
Much like the non-video Echo versions, the Show and Spot also have a button (circle with a slash through it) that controls its inputs—both the camera and microphone in one. Just press the button, and when it lights up red, your Show/Spot’s camera and microphone will be off.
Stop Your Echo from Letting People Drop In on You
While not quite as simple as pressing a button on top of your Echo, this setting is an important one to check. From your Alexa app, select Settings. Once there, select Devices and pick the Echo device you want to manage. Then select Communications and under Drop In you can toggle whether the service is on, available only for your Amazon household devices or off.
If you’ve set it to anything other than off, you’ll probably want to also check which of your contacts are allowed to drop in on you. Select the Conversations icon (word bubble). Then select the Contacts icon (person) and under Others Who Can Drop In on My Devices you can see everyone allowed to drop in on you and remove anyone that you don’t.
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