I was wondering how much money I spent on Amazon.com, and maybe you want to see your stats too. There is an insider trick to get a detailed report from Amazon. Tap or click here for the steps around each item you purchased and when you see it on Amazon.com.
Amazon is much more than just shopping. The Echo Smart Speaker is a useful tool in the home. If you’re just asking for weather updates again, check out these 20 clever new commands to try [list].
As with all Big Tech stuff, you can not go beyond the critical steps to ensure your privacy. Keep reading to tackle three of the biggest.
Yes, you have a public Amazon profile
This tip always catches people off guard. As an Amazon customer, you have a profile that is visible to other Amazon users, which is created automatically.
It contains comments and ratings you have left about products purchased on the site, your biographical information and other interactions with sites. Fortunately, your public profile does not contain your purchases or browsing history, but it is still very telling.
Here’s how to control what appears on your profile:
- Log in to your Amazon account. Click Account and Lists.
- Click under Ordering and Shopping Preferences Your Amazon profile.
- Click on the orange box marked Edit your public profile.
Here you will see Edit public profile and Edit privacy settings.
Click through the different options to review. You can customize the section about me, shopping lists, wish lists, any pets you have added, etc. Also look at the section for community activities.
Check your Echo’s settings
One of the best features of Echo is Drop In. It connects you to an Echo speaker or displays for an instant call. “Alexa, drop by the Echo Dot garage.” If you have multiple Echo devices in your home, you can use this command to make an announcement. “Alexa, log in on all devices.”
But you can not forget that the Echo speaker or the screen goes in both directions. It also makes someone immediately after 10 seconds listen or see what is going on in the room. It’s best to control these options unless you’re thinking of someone hearing or watching what’s going on.
Check which contacts you have approved for Drop In:
- Open the Alexa app on your phone.
- Type Communicate Tap at the bottom of the screen and tap on the page on the contacts icon right bo.
- Browse your contacts and make sure Allow inlet is turned on for just the right people.
Then set permissions to enable or disable for a specific device.
- Select in the Alexa app Settings> Device settings and select the device you want to turn on.
- Type Communication and then and choose Peek inside. Here you can choose Only for allowed contacts, My household to access only devices on my account, or Off, which means no one can step in.
To completely disable Drop In, open the Alexa app on your phone and follow the steps above for each of your Echo devices. Select Off for the Echo device when you get to the Drop In page. That’s it, Drop In is now disabled on each of your devices.
Do not walk on the sidewalk
Sidewalk is essentially a mesh network that extends your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity range up to a mile. It makes your Echo speakers and some Ring devices bridge devices to boost an Internet-connected technology.
According to Amazon, the total monthly data is limited to 500MB per account, or about 10 minutes of HD video. It’s not much at all.
Not so fast. What about your privacy? Amazon says that the Sidewalk network uses three layers of coding and that your neighbors cannot see your data.
They may say so, but the Internet of Things is notorious for insecure devices and no updates. There is no standard. I turned it off.
If you want to withdraw, open the Alexa app.
- Type More followed by Institutions.
- Type Account settings, followed by Amazon sidewalk.
- Turn Amazon Sidewalk off if you do not want to participate.
Note: This only applies to some devices including Ring’s Floodlight Cam, Spotlight Cam Wired and Spotlight Cam Mount from 2019 or later, along with most Echo models (including the Dot, Plus, Show, Dot for Kids and Studio) which was made after 2016.
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Learn more about all the latest technology in The Kim Komando Show, the country’s largest radio weekend show. Kim takes calls and gives advice on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. Visit her website Komando.com for her daily tips, free newsletters and more.