Settings to stop Apple, Google, Amazon, FB from always listening

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I use my voice to get a lot done. Siri sets meetings for me, silences my phone and lots more. Tap or click for five simple voice commands you’ll use all the time.

An Amazon Echo can help find your phone, lock the front door and drop in to chat with loved ones. Tap or click for the things I always ask Alexa to help with.

What’s the downside of always-on devices that listen for commands? Nearly all voice-activated technology uses microphones that listen for “wake words.” That means they are, technically, always listening.

If you want to take control of your privacy, here’s how to stop your smart devices from listening.

Foiling Facebook

Facebook sometimes requests access to the microphone for video chatting and text-to-speech purposes. You might not feel comfortable giving Facebook control of your mic. You can follow these steps for any app you want to block mic access.

Note: There are many Android manufacturers, so the steps outlined in this article may differ from your model. If so, check with your model’s online manual.

For iPhone:

Open the Settings app. Then, scroll down and tap Facebook.
Toggle the green switch next to Microphone to the left to disable it.

You can also follow these steps:

Open the Settings app. Then, scroll down and tap Privacy & Security.
Locate the menu labeled Microphone and tap it.
Find Facebook in the list of apps and toggle the green switch to the left to disable it.

For Android:

Open the Settings app, then tap Apps.
Tap the app you want to change, in this case, Facebook.
Choose Permissions. To change a permission setting, tap it, then choose from these options: Allow only while using the app, Ask every time, or Don’t allow.

If you decide to shoot a video or chat with a friend, return to these settings and enable your mic. You can always switch it off again when you’re finished.

Stopping voice assistants

It’s common knowledge that virtual assistants can pick up snippets of private conversations if you say something that sounds like the wake word. One study outlined 1,000 phrases that tripped up Alexa, Siri, Cortana, and Google.

If you’re worried about your gadget’s always-on microphone, here are the steps to turn it off. Just know you’re trading some convenience for privacy.

Amazon Echo

On your Echo device, find the button that looks like a microphone or a circle with a line through it.
Push the button. This stops the device from passing voltage through the mic’s internals.
If you wish to use Alexa, simply press the button again. You can always turn the mic off when not in use or during a private conversation.

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Siri

Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Scroll down and tap Siri & Search.
Toggle the green switch next to “Listen for ‘Hey Siri'” to the left to disable it.
You can also turn off Allow Siri When Locked to prevent Siri from activating if a button is pressed in your pocket.

Google Assistant

On Android:

Open the Settings app on your phone, then choose Apps.
Under General, tap Assistant, then See all Assistant Settings.
From here, you can click the toggle to turn off “Hey Google.”

On iOS:

Open the Settings app. Scroll down and tap Privacy & Security.
Locate the menu labeled Microphone and tap it.
Find Google Assistant in the list of apps and toggle the green switch to the left to disable it.

Cortana on Windows 10

Click the Start Menu button, then Settings.
Click Privacy > Voice Activation.
Locate Microphone on the left-hand panel and click it.
Scroll down to Cortana and toggle the Microphone permission to off.

Cortana on Windows 11

Click the Start Menu button, then Settings.
Click Privacy & security > Voice activation.
Under Apps that have requested voice activation services, slide the toggle next to Cortana to the left to disable it.

Smart security systems listen, too

Even home security devices have always-listening microphones. You can disable audio recording on two popular home security devices: Google Nest and Amazon Ring.

Google Nest

Open the Nest app on your smartphone and select the camera on the home screen.
Tap Settings.
Select Microphone. Then, tap the switch to turn it off.

Amazon Ring

Open up your Ring app.
Tap the three lines on the top left.
Tap Devices.
Select the device you would like to adjust.
Tap Device Settings.
Tap Privacy Settings.
Tap the Audio Streaming and Recording toggle.

Your smart TV

If you want to stop your smart TV from listening to you and scanning your channel-surfing history, check out our detailed guide to disabling these features on TVs made by Samsung, VIZIO, LG and more.

Tap or click here to see the easiest ways to stop your smart TV from tracking you.

Keep your tech-know going

My popular podcast is called “Kim Komando Today.” It’s a solid 30 minutes of tech news, tips, and callers with tech questions like you from all over the country. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts. For your convenience, hit the link below for a recent episode.

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Check out my podcast “Kim Komando Today” on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player.

Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name, “Komando.”

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