Only about a quarter of U.S. adults own a smart speaker.1 One of the major reasons we see people cite for not wanting to own one is privacy concerns.2 That’s why our digital privacy experts took a deep dive into the privacy features of the most popular smart speaker devices.

What we found might surprise you. Most smart speakers prioritize privacy. Manufacturers know that stories related to privacy issues take a huge toll on their sales. There are a few tactics we found, though, that can further enhance your privacy and reduce the risk of your private conversations leaking. Let’s dig in.

>> Check Out: Best Smart Home Automation Security Systems in 2025

How Smart Speakers Actually Record Your Voice

Controlling Ring with Alexa

Here’s what the Ring dashboard looked like on our Alexa Show after we integrated it with our security cameras.

Obviously, smart speakers don’t record your conversations 24/7. So what do they actually record? Is it true they’re always listening? Let’s shed light on those concerns first.

The Always-Listening Reality

Smart speakers operate using a two-stage listening process. The Amazon Echo and Google Nest devices are always listening for their wake words (i.e. “Alexa,” or “OK, Google”). However, they process audio locally. They only start recording and transmitting audio to cloud servers after they hear the wake word.

That system isn’t foolproof, though. We found a Northeastern University study suggesting that there are over 1,000 word combinations that could falsely activate Alexa to start listening for commands.3 Some of those words are common, too, such as “unacceptable” and “election.” That means they could send recordings of your voice to cloud servers even if you didn’t actually want them to.

>> Learn About: Google Nest Cam Review 2025

What Gets Stored in the Cloud

When your smart speaker activates, it records everything from the wake word until it determines you’ve finished speaking. This audio file is then uploaded to Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud, where it’s processed by both automated systems and, in some cases, human reviewers.

Amazon stores these recordings indefinitely by default. You can opt out of them storing your recordings entirely. Google takes the opposite approach. By default, Google does not store recordings and you need to manually turn recording storage on if you want it.

Privacy Tip: Check your voice recording history monthly. Both Amazon and Google provide easy access to review and delete stored recordings through their respective apps.

Privacy Risks Every Homeowner Should Know

Storing your private conversations in cloud servers creates some privacy risks. Most users won’t suffer any effects from these risks, as data exposure with these companies is rare, but it’s still one of the smart home dangers to look out for.

Data Breaches and Unauthorized Access

Smart speaker recordings contain highly personal information about your daily routines, family relationships, and private conversations. This data becomes a valuable target for cybercriminals. It also represents a significant privacy risk if improperly secured.

While data breaches at Amazon and Google are exceptionally rare, our research shows that they have occurred in the past. For instance, in 2023, a hacker exposed the personal information of 2.8 million Amazon employees.4 That didn’t expose any stored recordings, but it showcases the potential vulnerability of these data giants.

Third-Party Data Sharing

We also know that major big data companies have complex relationships with advertising partners and data brokers. While they don’t sell voice recordings directly, the insights derived from your conversations, such as shopping preferences, lifestyle habits, and family dynamics, can influence targeted advertising and product recommendations.

Amazon’s privacy policy acknowledges that voice recordings may be used to “provide and improve our services” and for “advertising and marketing.” Google’s policy is similarly broad, stating that voice data helps “develop and improve Google services,” which may include their advertising services.

Pro Tip: Enable two-factor authentication on your Amazon and Google accounts to add an extra layer of security for accessing your voice recording data.

Step-by-Step Guide to Disable Voice Recording

Now that you understand the risks, let’s go over how you can disable voice recordings to ensure your private conversations stay private.

Amazon Alexa Privacy Controls

Amazon provides several options for managing voice recordings and limiting data collection on Echo devices.

First, we recommend deleting your existing voice recordings:

  1. Open the Alexa app on your smartphone
  2. Navigate to Settings > Alexa Privacy > Review Voice History
  3. Select “Delete all recordings for all time” or choose specific date ranges
  4. Confirm your choice to permanently remove selected recordings

Next, you can prevent your Alexa devices from storing future recordings:

  1. In the Alexa app, go to Settings > Alexa Privacy > Manage Your Alexa Data
  2. Choose “Don’t save recordings” to prevent future voice clips from being stored
  3. Note that this may impact some personalization features and voice recognition accuracy

Alternatively, you can go somewhere in the middle and let Alexa store recordings for a set period of time and then delete them automatically:

  1. In the Alexa app, go to Settings > Alexa Privacy > Manage Your Alexa Data
  2. Set recordings to delete automatically after 3 months or 18 months
  3. Note that automatic deletion applies only to future recordings, not existing stored data

Google Assistant Privacy Management

It was pretty simple to calibrate the Nest Cam to trigger for important events only

The Google Nest Cams in our ADT system used facial recognition technology to tell us who they saw in their alerts.

Google also provides comprehensive controls for managing voice recordings across all Assistant-enabled devices. This level of privacy control is one reason we feel comfortable pairing all of our favorite security systems with Google Home.

First, check that Google is not storing your voice recordings:

  1. Visit myaccount.google.com and sign in to your Google account
  2. Navigate to Data & Privacy > Web & App Activity
  3. Uncheck “Include voice and audio recordings” to stop future voice storage
  4. This setting affects all Google services, not just smart speakers

If you were opted in to voice recordings, we recommend deleting past recordings:

  1. Go to myactivity.google.com
  2. Filter results by “Voice & Audio”
  3. Select individual recordings or use “Delete all time” for complete removal
  4. Confirm deletion to permanently remove voice data from Google’s servers

Just like Amazon, you can also set Google to automatically delete recordings after a specified period of time:

  1. Go to myactivity.google.com
  2. Navigate to Data & privacy > History settings > Web & App Activity > Manage Activity
  3. Select the More button in the search bar and then select ‘Keep activity for’
  4. Choose how long until a recording gets deleted
  5. Confirm your changes
  6. Note that auto-delete applies to all Google services associated with your account

Alternative Smart Home Solutions for Privacy-Conscious Users

Of course, Alexa and Google are not the only smart home and smart speaker providers. They are certainly not the most private as well. We’ve seen some providers that offer more privacy-focused devices.

>> Read About: Best Home Security Systems That Work With Alexa in 2025

Local Processing Smart Speakers

Several companies now offer smart speakers that process voice commands locally rather than sending audio to cloud servers. While most features still rely on the internet (e.g. to answer questions), on-device voice processing lets these smart speakers understand your voice commands without recording and transmitting audio to cloud servers:

  • Apple HomePod Series: Apple’s HomePod and HomePod mini process most Siri requests directly on the device using the company’s Neural Engine chip.
  • Mycroft Mark II: This open-source smart speaker runs entirely on local hardware, with no cloud connectivity required for basic functions.
  • Snips Voice Platform: Snips technology has been integrated into Sonos smart speakers to offer voice control without cloud dependency.

Physical Privacy Controls

Another option is to opt for smart speakers with robust physical controls that prevent them from listening when you don’t want them to.

All major smart speakers include physical mute buttons that disconnect the microphones at the hardware level. This provides complete protection against voice recording.

We also like devices with clear visual indicators that show when microphones are active and recording. For example:

  • Red LED rings on Amazon Echo devices when muted
  • Orange lights on Google Nest speakers during microphone disconnection
  • Apple HomePod displays a red light when Siri is disabled

Expert Recommendation: Consider placing smart speakers in common areas rather than bedrooms or private spaces to naturally limit exposure to sensitive conversations.

Expert-Recommended Privacy Settings

Beyond using alternative devices and physical controls, we also recommend enhancing your privacy by making a few changes to your account settings.

Optimal Configuration for Daily Use

Based on our consultation with privacy experts and security researchers, the following settings provide the best balance of functionality and privacy protection:

Recommended Amazon Alexa Settings:

  • Enable automatic deletion after 3 months
  • Disable “Use messages, calls, Announcements, and Drop In to improve services”
  • Turn off “Use voice recordings to improve Amazon services and develop new features”
  • Disable “Interest-based ads” in Amazon account settings
  • Review and delete recordings monthly

Recommended Google Assistant Settings:

  • Set auto-delete to 3 months for Web & App Activity
  • Disable “Include voice and audio recordings”
  • Turn off “Personal results” on shared devices
  • Disable “Voice Match” if multiple people use the device
  • Regular review voice activity at myactivity.google.com

Advanced Privacy Configurations

For users with heightened privacy concerns, consider these additional measures:

  • Account Isolation: Create dedicated accounts for smart home devices separate from your primary Amazon or Google accounts. This way, your smart speaker activity will not affect your search, browsing, and ads on your primary account.
  • Skill and Action Management: Regularly audit third-party skills and actions installed on your devices. We recommend removing unused voice applications, reviewing permissions for remaining skills, and limiting access to personal information like calendars and contacts.
  • Guest Mode Activation: Both Amazon and Google offer guest modes that prevent voice recordings from being associated with your personal account. Use this as an always-on setting.

Maintaining Smart Home Convenience While Protecting Privacy

Here’s how we recommend using smart home devices without putting your privacy at risk.

Practical Compromise Strategies

You don’t have to abandon smart home convenience entirely to protect your privacy. Consider these practical approaches that balance functionality with security:

  • Room-Specific Placement: Place smart speakers in common areas like kitchens and living rooms while avoiding bedrooms and home offices.
  • Time-Based Usage: Develop habits around when you use voice commands versus when you manually control smart devices. Many users find that voice control is most valuable when cooking, cleaning, and entertaining. Teaching these practices to your kids can help keep your kids safe in the digital age, too.
  • Mixed Device Strategy: Combine cloud-based smart speakers for complex tasks with local-processing devices for privacy-sensitive areas. For example, use an Amazon Echo in the kitchen for cooking timers and recipes, while relying on locally-controlled smart switches in bedrooms.

Regular Privacy Maintenance

Effective smart home privacy requires ongoing attention, not just initial setup. We recommend conducting a monthly and annual privacy audit as follows.

Monthly Privacy Audit:

  • Check voice recording history and delete unwanted clips
  • Review connected services and revoke unnecessary permissions
  • Update device firmware to ensure latest security patches
  • Audit third-party skills and remove unused applications

Annual Privacy Audit:

  • Reassess which devices truly need voice control
  • Update privacy preferences based on new features or policy changes
  • Consider whether new privacy-focused alternatives meet your needs
  • Review and update passwords for all connected accounts

The Bottom Line: Making Informed Decisions

Smart speakers offer genuine convenience benefits, but they require careful consideration of privacy tradeoffs. With the tips and tricks we laid out in this article, you can still enjoy the benefits of smart speakers without risking your privacy.

For most families, the optimal approach involves implementing available privacy controls, establishing clear usage boundaries, and maintaining regular oversight of voice recording activity.

Frequently Asked Questions