While voice assistants like Alexa are remarkably helpful, keep in mind that like most modern technology, they leave a footprint everywhere. The Alexa from Amazon works by voice command, so it always waits for your "wake-up word", which is usually the command "Alexa". Alexa doesn't always record, but she does record audio after hearing her wake-up word. It then sends this audio to the cloud for more detailed analysis. Understandably, not everyone is happy with this.
There is a process that can be used to delete your saved conversations from Alexa's history and restore your security and privacy. Our guide will walk you through the process.
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Step 1: Open the Alexa app
Open the Alexa app and log in with your Amazon account password if necessary. If you've never used your Alexa app before, or if you haven't used it in a long time, Alexa may walk you through a quick setup process first. This only takes about a minute to get through.
When you get to the home screen, take a look at your options below and select those Three lines Symbol that says More to access your full menu. The user interface might look a little different depending on the device you're using, but the option is still available.
From here, check out the menu options to find those Alexa data protection Section and select it.
Step 2: sort and go through your current Alexa story
Under Alexa's privacy section, there are several options for reviewing the sensitive information Alexa has collected. You might want to spend some time here. But for this particular task, start with Check the voice history. This will open a new screen with all of your recorded Alexa conversations.
At the top of the screen, you'll see an option to change the date range or filter by device. You can choose options to see commands from today, yesterday, etc., and see all of your history. If you really want to comb through all of your shots, you have to choose All history. This will show all your conversations with Alexa, when and on which device they took place.
Step 3: clear certain parts of your history
As you look at your recordings, you will find that some contain the text of your conversations, e.g. B. "Alexa, will it snow today?" However, other recordings say, "Text not available - audio was not intended for Alexa." These recordings take place when Alexa listens for a second after answering your question (I've mocked her before) or when conversations nearby sound like someone said "Alexa" but the voice assistant determines that no one is really listening spoke to him. There are other fake guards when Alexa hears something that sounds like her wake-up word on TV or radio. You can click on these recordings to play them back and see what they are if you're curious.
You will see a check box to the left of each recording. Check the box for each recording that you want to delete. Then go up and choose Delete selected recordings to remove them all. It's also a good idea to turn it on manually Enable voice deletion So you don't have to visit this screen again.
Step 4: Clear all your history at once if necessary
If you don't want to take the time to review all of your recordings, or don't really care what they say, you can delete them all without looking. Just look up Check the voice history Menu and choose Delete all recordings for the entire history.
You can also delete all of your history from your computer without going into the Alexa app. Simply go to Amazon's Manage Your Content and Devices website and log in Alexa privacy settingsand make sure you're in the equipment Tab. Here you can see all the devices that are connected to this Amazon account. Select an Alexa device and look under the name of the device for an option that says Delete voice recordings. Select that option and Amazon will display a quick alert screen. Choose Clear, and you should get a message that says Your request for deletion has been received.
Avoid unwanted Alexa recordings
Deleting your recordings may not be very effective knowing that the more you use Alexa the more they will only pile up again. However, there are a few things you can do to work around this ongoing problem. First, you can enable Alexa auto-delete. This is a very handy feature if you have privacy concerns.
You can find this option in the Alexa data protection Section. Look for the link to Manage your Alexa dataand then check the option that says Delete recordings automatically. This allows you to choose a period of time for voice recordings to be saved before they are automatically deleted each time.
You can also go more direct and turn Alexa off completely from time to time. Echo devices have a mute button on top that turns the microphone off and Alexa's ring indicator lights red until you unmute it again. You also have the option of completely disconnecting the Alexa device from the mains so that no hearing is possible. These are common solutions in situations where home users have an Alexa device on their desk or near their computer. However, you need to maintain privacy during web conferencing, team calls, and other conversations involving critical professional information.
Last note on deleting Alexa recordings
Deleting Alexa records is an important part of your privacy, and Alexa records have already found their way into law enforcement proceedings, although there is not much priority given to this type of thing as of yet. We understand if you don't want to publish your recordings in the cloud. However, deleting your messages has one important limitation: Alexa uses your recordings to improve the accuracy of the listening functions. In other words, the more you talk to Alexa, the smarter it becomes to recognize your voice and understand what you are saying. If you delete all of your recordings, Alexa's memory of your voice will be erased, so Alexa may have more trouble recognizing your commands. It's a small price to pay, but worth mentioning. You can re-establish recognition at any time with new voice commands.
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