Introduction
With people loading their homes up with smart devices, you may not even stop to think that those devices are always listening and potentially recording you at any given time. Alexa devices are particularly notorious for capturing conversations when you don’t want them to, and every interaction you or anyone else has with any of your Alexa-enabled devices is recorded and stored forever. Whether you’re just curious what Alexa caught you saying, or you have a specific interaction you want to find and remove, finding your Alexa voice recording history and listening to individual Alexa voice recordings is relatively easy and can be done through either the Alexa app on your iPhone, iPad or Android device, or through the Amazon.com website. In this video I’ll show you how to find and listen to Alexa voice recordings using both methods.
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Steps to Find and Listen to Alexa Voice Recordings Using the Alexa App
First let’s walk through the steps to find and listen to Amazon Alexa voice recordings using the Alexa app on an iPhone, iPad or Android device.
- Tap to launch the Alexa app on your iPhone, iPad or Android device. You’ll land on your Alexa home screen.
- Tap “More” in the menu along the bottom of the screen to bring up a menu, and then tap “Settings” in that menu. The Settings menu is displayed.
- Tap “Alexa Privacy” in this menu. The Alexa Privacy screen is displayed.
- Tap “Review Voice History.” The Review Voice History screen is shown, where you can view all of your Alexa voice recording history.
- Tap the drop-down icon next to “Displaying.” You’ll see options to filter what you see by date or by device.
- If you want to filter by a specific date range tap the drop-down next to “Filter by Date.” From here you can choose to filter by today, yesterday, the last 7 days, the last 30 days, see all of your history or filter to a custom date range. Alternatively, if you tap “Filter by Device” you’ll see a list of all of your Alexa-enabled devices. The only caveat here is that you can only choose one device to filter down to and not multiple devices.
- After making any filtering selections you’ll see a list of any audio recordings Alexa has captured.
Tap a specific item to expand it and see more options, one of which will be the ability to play that recording. Additionally, if you want to delete that Alexa voice recording for any reason, you can simply tap “Delete Recording” and the voice recording will be deleted permanently.
Steps to Find and Listen to Alexa Voice Recordings Using the Amazon Website
Next let’s look at how to find and listen to Amazon Alexa voice recordings using the Amazon.com website.
- Open a web browser and navigate to Amazon.com, and then log in to your Amazon account if prompted. You’ll land on your Amazon home screen.
- Click the drop-down associated with “Account and Lists” at the top of the screen to open a menu, and then click “Content and Devices” in that menu. The Manage Your Content and Devices screen is shown.
- Click “Privacy Settings” in the menu along the top of the screen to open the Privacy Settings screen.
- Click “Manage Settings” associated with Alexa Privacy. The Alexa Privacy screen is displayed.
- Click “Review Voice History.” The Review Voice History screen is shown, where you can view all of your Alexa voice recording history.
- Click the drop-down icon next to “Displaying.” You’ll see options to filter what you see by date or by device.
- If you want to filter by a specific date range click the drop-down next to “Filter by Date.” From here you can choose to filter by today, yesterday, the last 7 days, the last 30 days, see all of your history or filter to a custom date range. Alternatively, if you click “Filter by Device” you’ll see a list of all of your Alexa-enabled devices. The only caveat here is that you can only choose one device to filter down to and not multiple devices.
- After making any filtering selections you’ll see a list of any audio recordings Alexa has captured. Click a specific item to expand it and see more options, one of which will be the ability to play that recording. Additionally, if you want to delete that Alexa voice recording for any reason, you can simply click “Delete Recording” and the voice recording will be deleted permanently.
Reasons to Find and Listen to Alexa Voice Recordings
1. Improve Interactions with Alexa
Listening to Alexa voice recordings is an effective way to improve your interactions with the virtual assistant. By reviewing your voice commands and interactions, you can identify areas where you may be struggling to get Alexa to understand your requests or where there are opportunities to streamline your interactions. Additionally, by listening to your own voice, you can improve your diction and pronunciation. This can help Alexa to better understand you and improve the accuracy of its responses. By improving your interactions with Alexa, you can save time and frustration in the long run.
2. Check Accuracy
In today’s fast-paced world, we rely heavily on technology to provide us with accurate and timely information. This is especially true when it comes to virtual assistants like Alexa. However, even the most advanced AI systems can make mistakes. By reviewing your Alexa voice recordings, you can verify the accuracy of the information provided by Alexa. This is particularly important when it comes to critical information like weather forecasts, traffic updates, or important dates. By checking the accuracy of the information provided by Alexa, you can ensure that you are making informed decisions based on reliable data.
3. Monitor if Alexa is Being Used Without Your Consent
As with any device that can record audio, there is a risk that Alexa could be used to eavesdrop on your conversations without your knowledge or consent. By reviewing your Alexa voice recordings, you can monitor whether Alexa has been activated without your permission. This is an important step in protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal information is not being shared with unauthorized third parties.
4. Retrieve Important Information
One of the key benefits of using a virtual assistant like Alexa is the ability to keep track of important information like reminders and to-do lists. However, it can be easy to forget what you have asked Alexa to remember. By reviewing your Alexa voice recordings, you can retrieve important information that may have been forgotten. This can help you stay on top of your tasks and ensure that nothing important falls through the cracks.
5. Gather Legal Evidence
In some cases, Alexa voice recordings may be used as evidence in legal proceedings or disputes. By reviewing your Alexa voice recordings, you can gather evidence that may be used to support your case. This is particularly important in cases where there is a dispute over what was said or when a conversation took place. By having access to your own voice recordings, you can protect your legal rights and ensure that the truth is being presented.
Reasons People Think Alexa is Spying on Them
1. Accidental Activation
One of the main reasons why people may think that their Alexa devices are spying on them is due to the risk of accidental activation. Alexa is always listening for its wake word, which means that it could potentially start recording conversations without the user’s knowledge. While Amazon has taken steps to reduce the risk of accidental activation, such as implementing more advanced wake word detection and adding a visual indicator when Alexa is recording, there is still a risk that users may feel like their privacy is being violated. To address this concern, it is important for users to be aware of the potential for accidental activation and take steps to minimize the risk, such as turning off the device when not in use.
2. Always-on Listening
Another reason why some people may feel like their Alexa devices are spying on them is due to the always-on listening feature. While this feature is necessary for the device to function properly, some users may feel like they are constantly being monitored. To address this concern, Amazon has implemented privacy features that allow users to mute the device or turn off the always-on listening feature. Additionally, users can choose to use physical buttons or voice commands to activate Alexa, which can reduce the risk of accidental activation.
3. Misuse of Recordings
There is a risk that the recordings collected by Alexa could be misused or accessed by unauthorized third parties. This could include hackers who are able to gain access to the data or Amazon employees who may use the data for purposes other than improving the accuracy of the virtual assistant. To address this concern, Amazon has implemented stronger privacy and security measures, such as encrypting the data and requiring two-factor authentication for employees who access the recordings. Additionally, users can delete their recordings at any time to ensure that their data is not being stored indefinitely.
4. Lack of Transparency
Some users feel that Amazon has not been transparent enough about how it collects and uses data from Alexa devices. This lack of transparency can lead to mistrust and concerns about data privacy. To address this concern, Amazon has provided more information about its data privacy policies and implemented features that give users greater control over their data. For example, users can choose to opt out of data sharing with third-party developers or delete their voice recordings at any time.
