Setting up a smart speaker for privacy

Did you unknowingly invite your smart speaker to your online meeting? Be safe and disable unused features or turn off your smart speakers if you’re having a private conversation or a sensitive online meeting. Here’s how to do it:

Take control of Amazon Echo (“Alexa”)

To keep other people from listening:

  1. Open the Alexa app on your smartphone, then open the menu button on the top left of the screen.
  2. Select Settings>Alexa Privacy>Manage Your Alexa Data.
  3. Scroll down to Help Improve Alexa and switch off the toggle next to Use Voice Recordings to Improve Amazon Services and to Develop New Features.
  4. Scroll down to Use Messages to Improve Transcriptions and switch off the toggle next to your name.
    1. According to Amazon, voice recognition and new features may not work as well if you have the setting turned off.

To mute your speaker: (the easiest way to control what your smart speaker hears)

  1. Mute Amazon Echo by pressing the microphone on/off button on the top of the device. When this button turns red, the mic is off.
  2. For third party speakers that use the Alexa digital assistant, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to mute the unit.

To find, manage and delete your recordings:

  1. Open the Alexa app on your smartphone, then open the menu button on the top left of the screen.
  2. Select Settings>Alexa Privacy>Review Voice History.
  3. Go to Enable deletion by voice and switch on the toggle. Once enabled, anyone with access to your Alexa devices can delete voice recordings by saying, “Alexa, delete what I just said” or “Alexa, delete everything I said today.”
  4. Scroll down to Date Range>Select All History from the dropdown menu>Select Delete All Recordings for All History.

Take control of Google Home Assistant

To keep other people from listening:

  1. Open the Google Home app on your smartphone, then open Settings.
  2. Scroll down and tap More settings.
  3. Tap Your data in the Assistant, scroll down to Voice and audio recordings.
  4. Tap the (>) at the right side of the On button.
  5. Uncheck the Include voice and audio recordings.
    1. According to Google, pausing the voice and audio recordings settings may limit or disable more personalized experiences across Google services.

To mute your speaker: (the easiest way to control what your smart speaker hears)

  1. Say “OK Google, turn off the microphone.”
  2. Google Home should confirm the microphone is off, and the lights should turn off.
  3. Turn Google Home back on using the button on the device itself.

To find, manage and delete your recordings:

  1. Open the Google Home app on your smartphone, then open Settings.
  2. Scroll down and tap More settings.
  3. Tap Your data in the Assistant, scroll down to Voice and audio recordings.
  4. Tap See & delete activity, tap the three dot icon and choose Delete activity by. Select the information you would like to delete.