Unless you remove them, Alexa will store text and audio recordings indefinitely. While this is used to improve the performance of your Echo or other devices, if unauthorized parties gain access, they can use personal information to hijack additional accounts. From the Alexa app, open Settings. Then select “Account Settings” and “History.” Delete the desired […]

When working from home, turn off digital assistants, such as Siri, Alexa and Cortana. In most cases, disabling virtual assistants and apps with recording function is as simple as navigating to settings and turning off or disabling the function.

A smart home has a network of devices that communicate and operate with one another seamlessly to provide convenience and efficiency. Since they’re all connected to the internet, these devices are controlled by the homeowner, usually through a smartphone app. Examples of smart home devices include door locks, thermostats, smoke alarms, coffee machines and security […]

Have an Amazon Alexa, Google Nest Mini or other smart speaker? You probably want to mute it if you join a lot of phone calls or video conferences while at home. This is easy in most cases; for example, the Nest Mini’s mute switch is on the back. While muted, speakers won’t listen for their […]

Devices with voice recognition became much more common throughout the 2010s. The addition of Siri to the iPhone 4S in 2011 spurred major competition among tech vendors looking to put voice-powered assistants at the center of how end users interact with their phones, tablets, speakers and smart TVs. Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, among others, […]

If you have an Amazon Alexa or Google Home voice-activated speaker, you can review the recordings it has made online. You also have the option to delete those recordings if you don’t want to keep them or are concerned about their long-term retention.