Amazon Echo Features You Might Want to Disable in 2023

We all love to use Amazon Echo devices. They make life easy and entertaining but that is not only the thing. There are many features in Amazon Alexa which are good, but we should disable them for some reason. Amazon Alexa makes you feel fascinated, but some features of Amazon Alexa can make you uncomfortable at the same time. So, let us jump into some Amazon Echo features you might want to disable but you have not done yet.

Amazon Alexa plays our favorite songs, it creates a unique light mode in the house and whatnot. Basically, Amazon Alexa has upgraded our day-to-day life. This is all amazing, today, we will talk about some unfocused parts of Amazon Alexa like privacy and safety. There are some features you should turn off for your better privacy and safety. Alexa can take our data from the app to improve its Echo models and user experience. But, let me tell you it is totally in our control.

If the user does not give permission to take those data or turn off the feature Alexa will not use it. So, today I will explain to you about Amazon Echo features you might want to disable.

Amazon Echo Features You Might Want to Disable 

I will show you six Amazon Echo features you might want to disable, but maybe you have no idea how it exactly works. Amazon Alexa has so many skills, just like we have apps on our phones. Do not worry those skills are not harmful at all, but of course, it captures all private data. We will talk about Drop-In, voice recording, and much more. I will show you how to turn off SideWalk on Alexa.

Amazon Alexa gives you long answers to annoying notifications. You can also make it disabled or reduce it. So, I will show you how these features work on your device and how you can disable them. Get the step-by-step guide for each feature below.

1. Turn Off Amazon SideWalk

Amazon has launched one of the fantastic features in Echo, the SideWalk feature. This feature has introduced before 2023. Sharing your internet connection with other devices is so easy with this feature. This feature will help you if your internet connection is poor and you need it urgently. So, stay connected for those Amazon Echo features you might want to disable.

It clearly means that someone who is in your range can easily use your internet. You do not need to worry about SideWalk security. But I will suggest you disable this feature to maintain your privacy. 

It is better to make it disabled. It is possible that Amazon will improve this feature in the future, but till then, you should disable it. I will show you an easy and step-by-step process to disable this feature. Follow the below-mentioned steps to do it.

1. Launch Settings on your Alexa app.

2. Now Click on the More tab. ( You can do it with an iOS or an Android )

3. Now tap on Amazon Side Walk to choose it.

2. Turn Off Alexa Hunches

Amazon Echo features you might want to disable but don’t know how to do that, then read more. Turn off Alexa hunches is all about those interacting questions which Alexa asks you. Alexa hunch is a good feature, but I would say it is a conditional feature.

When you ask any questions to Amazon Alexa, it will instantly reply, but don’t you think sometimes those unwanted replies can disturb you? Of course, it is annoying.

For example, if you are in the middle of a phone call and suddenly Alexa asks you a question.  I guess switching off those hunches is very important, so I will show you step by step guide for it. Find the steps here.

1. Launch the Alexa app on your device.
2. Now find out the More option and tap on it.
3. Now scroll on the screen and Switch off the hunches.

This is how you can switch off the hunches using this simple method on your Alexa app. You can also switch off the hunches with Alexa voice commands by simply saying Alexa Disable the hunches.

3. Enable Brief Mode

We all find virtual assistants so fascinating. In spite of being so good in response. Your Amazon Alexa can make you bored with those long replies. You can enable the Brief mode to avoid this. This will help your Alexa to prepare and give shorter answers to you. So, learn how to disable Amazon Echo features. 

Generally, people love shorter answers but still, whenever you feel it is too Brief, you can disable this Brief mode feature anytime. Now, you will get the long answers again. To make this feature enable, I will show you a simple step-by-step process.

1. Open your Alexa app.
2. Now launch Settings on your device.
3. Now find the Alexa preferences option on your screen and choose it.
4. Then select the Voice response option from that.
5. Now Enable Brief mode.

4. Disable Drop In

Drop-In is a cool feature of Amazon Echo that give permission to people to talk to your Echo device. Yes!!! You got me right. A person does not have to call you, and they can talk to your Echo device if you have enabled the Drop-In feature on your device. 

I understand it is a matter of your privacy, but this will help you in some situations. If you do not want people to call you and talk to you through your Echo device, you can easily disable the Drop-In feature. I will explain step by step process to disable it.

1. Open the Alexa app on your device.
2. Now select the Echo and Alexa options from it.
3. First, choose the Device and then select the Communications option.
4. Now tap on the Drop-In.
5. Now Turn off the feature.

5. Manage Skill Permissions

Skills are just like apps. Skills on your Echo device will help you to explore so many things like news, food, and games. No doubt, these skills will not harm you in any way, but yes, there are some skills that can easily capture sensitive information from your device. 

The information could be about anything from your address to your Amazon Prime payment information or your personal phone number. You will get relief to know that you can easily check which skill is using your sensitive information for that follow below-mentioned steps. 

1. Launch the Amazon Alexa app on your device.
2. Now click on More and then Tap on the Settings option.
3. Now choose the Alexa Privacy option.
4. Click on Manage skills and Permissions.
5. If you see any unwanted service, simply Remove it.

6. Disable Voice Recordings

Alexa easily collects all the data which we use. Basically, Alexa catches all the activities you do. Amazon collects this data to improve the user experience for Alexa. Alexa automatically records all the voices, but it claims that only a small part of your recordings goes into the human review to improve the device features. 

If you are not convinced with this voice recording feature, then not to worry because you can always disable it. I will show you a quick step-by-step method to disable the voice recording feature.

1. Open the Amazon Alexa app.
2. Now go to the More Tab.
3. Select the Settings option.
4. Choose the Alexa Privacy option from there.
5. Now click on the Manage your Alexa Data option.
6. You will find the Voice recordings option under Improve Alexa.
7. Disable voice recordings, and you are done.

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Wrapping Up

In this article, we have learned Amazon Echo features you might want to disable. I have explained all the features that you should disable and the step-by-step process for it. This will again make your Alexa experience memorable, just like the way you want. Follow Path of EX for more tech articles and step-by-step guides. Have a great day!!!

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