Amazon Account
What the default settings do
An Amazon Account connects the Amazon store, Alexa-enabled devices, Ring home security products, Kindle, Prime Video, Amazon Music, and other Amazon services. By default, Amazon collects and retains your purchase history, browsing history, voice recordings from Alexa, search queries, and device usage data. Amazon uses this information to personalize product recommendations, serve targeted ads across its advertising network (which extends to third-party websites), and improve its voice recognition services. Alexa voice recordings are stored indefinitely by default and may be reviewed by Amazon employees.
A reasonable privacy baseline
These settings are managed across several places: amazon.com/hz/mycd/myx for general account settings, the Alexa app for voice assistant settings, and amazon.com/adprefs for advertising preferences.
Alexa privacy - voice recordings
Alexa app → More → Settings → Alexa Privacy → Manage Your Alexa Data → Voice Recordings → Enable automatic deletion
By default, Amazon stores all voice recordings from your Alexa interactions indefinitely. Set automatic deletion to 3 months or 18 months to limit how long these recordings are retained. You can also choose "Don't Save Recordings," so recordings are processed but not kept afterward, though this may reduce Alexa's ability to adapt to your voice.
As of March 2025, Amazon removed the separate "Do Not Send Voice Recordings" option that had allowed local-only, on-device processing for a small set of devices. All Alexa voice commands are now sent to Amazon's cloud for processing regardless of your settings; "Don't Save Recordings" only controls whether that audio is retained afterward, not whether it leaves your device in the first place.
Delete voice history → Delete all recordings
In the same Alexa Privacy section, you can delete all existing voice recordings. This removes the stored audio clips that Amazon has collected from your Alexa devices up to this point.
Help improve Alexa → Off
Found in Alexa Privacy → Manage Your Alexa Data. When enabled, Amazon employees may review a sample of your voice recordings to improve speech recognition. Turning this off prevents your recordings from being used for this purpose.
Use messages to improve transcriptions → Off
Prevents Amazon from using your Alexa messages to improve its transcription accuracy.
Browsing history
Amazon.com → Account → Browsing History → Manage History → Turn off browsing history → Off
Amazon tracks every product and page you view on the site to personalize recommendations. Turning this off stops future collection. You can also clear your existing browsing history from the same page.
Personalized ads
amazon.com/adprefs → Personalized ads → Do Not Show Personalized Ads
Amazon's advertising network serves targeted ads on Amazon.com and on third-party websites. Opting out means you will still see ads, but they will not be based on your Amazon shopping behavior or browsing activity.
Communication preferences
Account → Communication preferences → Marketing emails → Uncheck non-essential categories
Amazon sends marketing emails about deals, recommendations, and new features. Review the communication preferences page and disable categories that are not relevant to you. Keep transactional notifications (order confirmations, shipping updates) enabled.
Alexa skills permissions
Alexa app → More → Settings → Alexa Privacy → Manage Skill Permissions → Review and restrict
Third-party Alexa skills can request access to your name, email address, phone number, location, and other information. Review which skills have access and revoke permissions for skills you no longer use or that request more data than their function requires.
Skill-level permissions → Remove unused skills
In the Alexa app, review your enabled skills and remove any you no longer use. Each enabled skill maintains a connection to your account data based on the permissions it was granted.
Amazon Sidewalk
Alexa app → More → Settings → Account Settings → Amazon Sidewalk → Disabled
Amazon Sidewalk shares a small portion of your home internet bandwidth with nearby Amazon devices (such as neighbors' Echo devices or Ring cameras) to create a shared neighborhood network. This is enabled by default on compatible devices. Disabling it prevents your internet connection from being used as part of this mesh network.
Ring and home device data sharing
Ring app → Control Center → Video Sharing and Privacy → Community Alerts → Review and restrict
Ring devices can share video clips with the Neighbors app community and with law enforcement through the Request for Assistance program. Review these settings and disable sharing features you are not comfortable with. You can control this per device.
Ring app → Control Center → Third-party service access → Review and remove unused connections
Review which third-party services and integrations have access to your Ring devices and data. Remove any that you no longer use.
Ring Video End-to-End Encryption → Enable
Available for some Ring devices, this feature encrypts video so that only your enrolled mobile device can view it. When enabled, Ring and Amazon cannot access the video content. Note that some features like shared user viewing and certain video playback options may be limited.
Order history visibility
Amazon Household → Review shared access → Review what is shared
If you are part of an Amazon Household, other members may be able to see your order history, payment methods, or shipping addresses depending on how sharing is configured. Review the Household settings to understand what is visible to other members.
Archive orders → Archive sensitive purchases
Individual orders can be archived from your order history so they do not appear on the main Orders page. Archived orders are still accessible but require navigating to a separate archived section. This is useful for gifts or personal purchases you prefer not to display prominently.
Trade-offs
- Turning off browsing history means Amazon’s product recommendations will be less personalized and less relevant to your recent interests.
- Setting Alexa voice recordings to not save or auto-delete at 3 months may reduce how well Alexa adapts to your voice, accent, and speech patterns over time. Voice recognition accuracy may be slightly lower.
- Since Amazon removed local-only voice processing in March 2025, there is no remaining setting that keeps Alexa voice commands off Amazon’s servers entirely; the only way to avoid cloud transmission is to not use Alexa’s voice features.
- Opting out of personalized ads does not reduce the number of ads. Ads on Amazon and partner sites may be less relevant to your interests.
- Disabling Amazon Sidewalk means your own Amazon devices (such as Ring cameras or Tile trackers) cannot use the Sidewalk network for extended range when they lose Wi-Fi connectivity.
- Enabling Ring end-to-end encryption limits some features, including the ability for shared users to view video and certain types of video playback through Ring’s web interface.
- Removing Alexa skills means losing the functionality those skills provided. Some skills (such as smart home device integrations) may need to be re-enabled if you still use the associated devices.
- Archiving orders only hides them from the default view. They remain in your account and are still accessible to Amazon.
Who should not change these settings
- If you rely on Alexa for daily routines, smart home control, and hands-free interaction, keeping voice recordings saved (with auto-delete) may provide a better experience as Alexa learns your voice.
- If you use Amazon Sidewalk features such as extended Ring camera coverage or Tile tracker range beyond your home Wi-Fi, keeping Sidewalk enabled provides that extended connectivity.
- If you share an Amazon Household and everyone is comfortable with shared order visibility, there is no need to change those settings.
- If you find Amazon’s product recommendations valuable and they help you discover relevant items, keeping browsing history active provides that personalization.
- If you actively use the Ring Neighbors community to stay informed about local safety events, keeping community sharing features enabled serves that purpose.
- If you prefer more relevant ads over generic ones, keeping personalized ads on is a valid choice.