Amazon Echo has been in headlines recently after a family discovered that it secretly recorded a whole conversation and sent it out to a contact.
Amazon had a strange response, suggesting that the recording was only initiated because of an array of coincidences that happened together.
If you're curious what Amazon Echo smart devices have recorded while in your home — as I was — you can use the Alexa app to find out.
How to see what Alexa has recorded in your home:
- Open the Alexa app on your smartphone.
- Tap the menu button on the top-left side of the screen.
- Scroll down and select 'Settings.'
- Scroll down the page and tap 'History.'
You'll see something like this:
You'll be able to see all of the commands Alexa has heard. In my case, I saw all of the commands I've issued, including asking Alexa to turn off the living room lights, to play classical music and more. If you select a recording, you can choose the option to delete it.
I didn't see any suspicious activity where Alexa recorded a conversation in the room without my permission. But, as my screenshot shows, it does seem to hear "Alexa" an awful lot — and that's the word that it listens to in order to wake up and begin recording.
After going through my lists I have a little more peace of mind that Alexa hasn't recorded any random conversations in my home.
