The short answer: an Echo is always listening for its wake word (“Alexa,” “Amazon,” “Computer,” “Echo” or “Ziggy”), but it doesn’t send any audio to Amazon until it hears that word or you press the action button. After that, what you say is recorded and sent to Amazon’s cloud to be answered (Amazon). To stop all listening, press the microphone button: a red light means the microphones are switched off (Amazon).
How to tell when Alexa is listening
- A blue light (a ring or bar, depending on the model) means audio is being sent to Amazon’s cloud (Amazon).
- You can also turn on a short sound that plays when Alexa starts and stops listening. Look in your device’s settings in the Alexa app (Amazon).
- Like any voice assistant, an Echo can mishear something as its wake word and start recording when you didn’t mean it to (FTC). The blue light is your clue.
How to turn the microphone off
- Find the microphone button on top of your Echo (it shows a microphone with a line through it).
- Press it once. The light turns red, and power to the microphones is cut off (Amazon).
- Press it again when you want to talk to Alexa.
How to review and delete your recordings
- Open the Alexa app on your phone and tap More.
- Tap Alexa Privacy, then Review Alexa History (Amazon).
- Pick a date range or device to filter the list. Tap a recording to listen to it or delete it, or choose to delete all of your history (Amazon).
On a computer, the same controls are at amazon.com/alexaprivacysettings (Amazon).
Choose how long recordings are kept
In Alexa Privacy you can have recordings deleted automatically after 3 or 18 months, or choose not to save them at all. If you choose not to save recordings, Amazon still keeps text transcripts of your requests for 30 days (Amazon). Amazon says people review “an extremely small sample” of Alexa interactions to improve the service. The FTC suggests checking your device’s privacy policy to see who can listen and whether you can opt out (FTC).
Alexa+ note: if you join Alexa+, Follow Up Mode is turned on for your compatible Echo devices. It lets you ask a follow-up question without saying “Alexa” again, and a light shows you when the device is recording (Amazon).
Other privacy steps worth taking
- Use a strong, unique password for your Amazon account, and turn on two-step verification (FTC). See what two-factor authentication is.
- Add a PIN for voice purchases, or turn off voice ordering, so visitors can’t buy things by talking to your Echo (FTC).
- Check which accounts (email, calendar, shopping) you’ve linked to Alexa, and unlink the ones you don’t need (FTC).
