Back in 2014, Amazon introduced their own virtual assistant called Alexa bundled with Amazon Echo Dot smart speakers. Now as of 2019, Alexa is one of the most popular digital assistant alongside Google Assistant and Siri, and it is used in multiple devices available in the market. It is capable of continuous voice interactions, streaming music, controlling smart devices, providing the latest news, weather, traffic, and other real-time information.
Now with most of the devices like a smart speaker with built-in Alexa, the voice assistant can be activated by saying the keyword ‘Alexa’ or pushing a button if you don’t opt for the voice trigger on Android/iOS.
These days, voice assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are being integrated in a variety of devices such as smart televisions, Bluetooth speakers, even smart bulbs so home automation is getting easier day by day. But to activate itself, the microphone on the device always has to listen to its surroundings, which is kind of concerning if you do care about your privacy at home.
Why should you care?
A recent report shows that the voice assistants are listening to more than just the given commands, which include snippets of private conversations. And sometimes these recordings are being reviewed by the company’s employees, which is concerning as it is basically a breach of your privacy.
So with recent backlash from the users, companies like Google and Apple have suspended the reviewal process of the recordings, though Amazon hasn’t yet done it. But the tech giant has changed its settings so people can delete existing recordings and opt out of having their voice recordings reviewed by company’s workers.
For those who are looking to delete and restrict access to the recordings, we have a guide for you step-by-step.
How to delete existing Amazon Alexa voice recordings?
Step 1
First, open the Amazon Alexa app on your Android or iOS device. Make sure you’re running the latest version of the app and logged in with your Amazon account.
Step 2
Once you’ve opened the app, click the ‘three-lined’ icon situated on the top left corner.
Step 3
Now click on ‘Settings’. And then click on ‘Alexa Privacy’. After that, select ‘Review voice history’.
Step 4
Click on ‘Data range’ and select your preferred option (click on All if you want all the recordings deleted). Finally click on ‘Delete all recording from xxxxx’ to delete the recordings. You can also enable ‘Deletion by voice’ so you can just activate and tell Alexa to delete the recordings on-the-go.
How to opt-out of the reviewal of your recordings?
Step 1
Similar to the Step 2 and Step 3 for deleting your recordings, open the ‘three-lined’ menu, then click on ‘Settings’. Now again click on ‘Alexa Privacy’.
Step 2
Now select ‘Manage How Your Data Improves Alexa’.
Step 3
Toggle off the option that says ‘Help Improve Amazon Services And Develop New Features’. You will be opted-out of the reviewal of your voice recordings and restrict access to it.
If you don’t have the Amazon Alexa app on your smartphone, you can also delete your voice recordings and opt-out from the manual review of your voice snippets just by opening browser and typing this: amazon.com/alexaprivatesettings, and then repeating the same process as described above.
For the latest tech news and updates, Install TechnoCodex App and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Also, if you like our efforts, consider sharing this story with your friends, this will encourage us to bring more exciting updates for you.
Talha Ali is your tech generalist, covering a wide spectrum of topics within the ever-evolving world of technology. With a curiosity for the latest innovations, industry trends, and breakthroughs. Whether it’s hardware, software, emerging technologies, or the intersection of tech with daily life, Talha’s articles provide readers with a well-rounded perspective on the dynamic landscape of the tech industry.
