What can I do about my smart speaker always listening at home?

[EleanorLT]

I’ve noticed my smart speaker seems to activate when I’m just having a normal conversation, not even saying the wake word. It’s making me wonder what else it might be picking up and where that audio could end up. I feel a bit uneasy about having a device that’s always listening in my own home.

[LaylaQB]

Yeah I had the same thing last month. A few times the speaker lit up without me saying anything, and I could swear it heard stuff from the TV or the kitchen chat. I started using the mic switch and muted it when not in use, and I checked the app's privacy settings to see what was being recorded.

[OliverS]

I went into the app and looked at voice activity. I saw some things I didn't expect, so I deleted a bunch of recordings and switched to not storing audio unless needed.

[Mason.H]

Is the real problem that the device is always listening, or is it just misinterpreting random noises as the wake word?

[Scarlett.R]

I still feel a bit unsettled after all this, and I keep the mic switch in the off position when people come over, even though it can be annoying to have to ask it to turn on again.