Echo always listens for you to say Alexa and ask the device to do something for you, but you can have the Amazon Echo stop listening.
Yes, you can stop Alexa from listening for privacy reasons, but the bigger reason to do so is to prevent Alexa from being accidentally activated while watching a video, or to prevent a prankster in your house from changing your music or controlling your lights.
There’s no voice command to stop the Echo Dot from listening, which is a bit annoying because everything else is voice-controlled. Fortunately, this is very easy to do when near the Echo or Echo Dot.
How to Make Echo Stop Listening
This is how you can get the Echo or Echo Dot to stop listening to what you have to say. On the Echo, you will see a microphone button at the top of the device. Press this and it will light up red. The circle around the echo will also glow red.
This is the way Amazon Echo stops listening.
Once this is done, Echo will no longer listen to you. Your wake word or Alexa won’t activate it. Once this is done you will need to press the microphone button for Alexa to start listening to you again.
If you have multiple Echo an Echo Dot devices in your home or office, you need to have each Echo individually stop listening and turn them back on individually.
Why You Should Stop Listening to Alexa
There are only a few reasons to really stop Alexa from listening. The new Alexa ads on TV and radio aren’t one, though. Amazon includes a message that stops ads from Activating your Alexa; this is something Google has not yet done for Google Home.
If you’re watching a video on how to use Alexa or the best Alexa skills where someone says the wake word over and over, you’ll want to stop Echo from listening so it doesn’t bother you.
Another reason could be to prevent someone else in your household from controlling it, or to make you angry when you are focused on doing something. This will prevent them from using the Echo you control to change the lights, music or make other changes.
How to Stop Accidental Alexa Responses
If you’re trying to stop Alexa from listening because the service continues to be accidentally activated, there is a better option. Most of the time, if you say a similar word or if you have someone named Alexa or Alexie in your house, Alexa will be activated.
Instead of changing their name, you can use this guide to change the Echo wake word from Alexa to Echo, Amazon or Computer.