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:
- Open the Alexa app on your smartphone, then open the menu button on the top left of the screen.
- Select Settings>Alexa Privacy>Manage Your Alexa Data.
- 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.
- Scroll down to Use Messages to Improve Transcriptions and switch off the toggle next to your name.
- 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)
- 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.
- 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:
- Open the Alexa app on your smartphone, then open the menu button on the top left of the screen.
- Select Settings>Alexa Privacy>Review Voice History.
- 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.”
- 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:
- Open the Google Home app on your smartphone, then open Settings.
- Scroll down and tap More settings.
- Tap Your data in the Assistant, scroll down to Voice and audio recordings.
- Tap the (>) at the right side of the On button.
- Uncheck the Include voice and audio recordings.
- 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)
- Say “OK Google, turn off the microphone.”
- Google Home should confirm the microphone is off, and the lights should turn off.
- Turn Google Home back on using the button on the device itself.
To find, manage and delete your recordings:
- Open the Google Home app on your smartphone, then open Settings.
- Scroll down and tap More settings.
- Tap Your data in the Assistant, scroll down to Voice and audio recordings.
- Tap See & delete activity, tap the three dot icon and choose Delete activity by. Select the information you would like to delete.