8 Amazon Echo Settings to Disable for Privacy (2026 Guide)

8 ALEXA SETTINGS EVERYONE SHOULD DISABLE ON A NEW AMAZON ECHO

You have just unboxed a shiny new Amazon Echo. It is January 31, 2026, and if you were lucky enough to get one of these speakers as a gift, you have likely spent the last few weeks asking it about the weather or playing your favorite music. But here is the reality: when you set up a new Echo, the default settings are designed to benefit Amazon's ecosystem, not necessarily your privacy or your peace of mind.

Adjusting your Alexa settings is like adjusting the mirrors in a new car. You wouldn't drive off the lot without making sure you can see what is behind you, and you shouldn't let a smart speaker into your home without setting some ground rules. Think of this guide as a way to reclaim your digital borders.

SECTION 1: RECLAIMING YOUR PRIVACY AND SECURITY

DISABLE AMAZON SIDEWALK Amazon Sidewalk is a low-bandwidth network that shares a tiny slice of your home internet with your neighbors to help keep smart devices connected. While it sounds helpful in theory, it is enabled by default and essentially turns your home into a neighborhood bridge. If you'd rather not share your bandwidth, here is how to turn it off. Path: Open the Alexa app, tap More, tap Settings, tap Account Settings, tap Amazon Sidewalk, and toggle the setting to Disabled.
LOCK DOWN VOICE PURCHASING Voice purchasing is incredibly convenient until a television commercial or a precocious toddler decides to order a four-foot tall cat tower on your behalf. You don't have to disable it entirely, but you should at least add a security hurdle. Path: Open the Alexa app, tap More, tap Settings, tap Account Settings, tap Voice Purchasing, and toggle Voice Purchase Settings to Off or set a four-digit Voice Code.
STOP INTEREST-BASED ADS Alexa isn't just listening for her wake word; she's also keeping track of your interactions to build an advertising profile. If you have ever talked about a specific product and then seen an ad for it on Amazon five minutes later, this is why. To stop this cross-site tracking, you need to dig into your privacy data. Path: Open the Alexa app, tap More, tap Settings, tap Alexa Privacy, tap Manage Your Alexa Data, and toggle off the setting for Interest-Based Ads.

SECTION 2: SETTING COMMUNICATION BOUNDARIES

SILENCE THE DROP IN FEATURE Drop In is essentially an intercom that allows approved contacts to start a voice or video call on your Echo without you having to answer. It is a fantastic tool for checking on an elderly relative, but for most people, it feels a bit intrusive to have someone just pop into the room unannounced. It's best to keep this restricted to your immediate circle or turned off entirely. Path: Open the Alexa app, tap More, tap Settings, tap Device Settings, select the specific device you want to change, tap Communications, tap Drop In, and select Off or My Household.
DISABLE HOUSE-WIDE ANNOUNCEMENTS Announcements are great for telling the family that dinner is ready, but they can be a nuisance if you have multiple devices and only want to use one for specific tasks. If you have an Echo in a bedroom or office where you need quiet, you should disable its ability to receive these broadcasts. Path: Open the Alexa app, tap More, tap Settings, tap Device Settings, select the specific device, tap Communications, tap Announcements, and toggle the setting to Off.

SECTION 3: REFINING THE SMART EXPERIENCE

MANAGE VOICE RECORDING STORAGE AND HUMAN REVIEWS By default, Amazon can keep your voice recordings indefinitely to help improve the service. Furthermore, a small fraction of these recordings may be reviewed by human workers to help Alexa understand different accents and dialects. If you prefer to have your data purged regularly or kept away from human ears, you need to change the retention policy. Path for Storage: Open the Alexa app, tap More, tap Settings, tap Alexa Privacy, tap Manage Your Alexa Data, tap Choose how long to save recordings, and select Don't save recordings or 3 months. Path for Human Review: In the same Manage Your Alexa Data menu, tap Help Improve Alexa and toggle off Use of Voice Recordings.
PREVENT PROACTIVE ALEXA HUNCHES Hunches are Alexa's way of playing detective. She might notice you left the lights on when you went to bed and ask if you want her to turn them off. It's helpful until she starts doing things proactively without asking, like turning off your heater because she hunches you are away when you're really just taking a nap. Path: Open the Alexa app, tap More, tap Settings, tap Hunches, tap the gear icon in the top right corner, and disable the toggle for Proactive Actions.
SECURE THE ECHO SHOW CAMERA AND PHOTO SHARING If your Echo has a screen, it also has a camera. While you can use it for video calls or home monitoring, you should ensure it isn't active when you don't want it to be. Additionally, Amazon may occasionally suggest sharing your photos on the home screen. Beyond the app settings, remember that most modern Echo Show models have a physical sliding shutter on the top edge. Using it is the only way to be 100 percent sure. Path: Open the Alexa app, tap More, tap Settings, tap Device Settings, select your Echo Show, tap Camera, and toggle the Camera to Off.

SECTION 4: WHO BENEFITS AND FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

This guide is written for anyone who values their digital privacy, but it is especially relevant for a few specific types of users. The Privacy Guard: You love the convenience of smart tech but hate the idea of being tracked. Disabling Sidewalk and Interest-Based Ads are your top priorities. The Budget-Conscious Parent: You want to ensure your children (or your pets) don't accidentally run up a massive bill via voice purchasing. The Gift-Giver: If you are setting up an Echo for a less tech-savvy relative, doing these eight things first is a kindness that saves them from future headaches.

COMMON QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Will disabling these settings break my Echo? Not at all. Your speaker will still play music, answer questions, and set timers perfectly fine. You are simply removing the features that collect your data or create potential interruptions.

What about Brief Mode? Brief Mode is a great extra setting to look for under Voice Responses. It makes Alexa play a simple chime instead of saying Okay every time you give a command. It makes the device feel much less chatty.

THE VERDICT Your Amazon Echo is a tool, and like any tool, it works best when it is configured to your specific needs. By taking ten minutes to walk through these menus, you transform a device that serves Amazon into a device that truly serves you. Alexa is a guest in your home—make sure she knows the house rules.