Reduce Unwanted Activations for Amazon Echo

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction: Amazon Echo: Reduce Unwanted Activations

Your Amazon Echo is always listening, waiting to assist you. Unfortunately, it can pick up audio cues and misinterpret them causing unwanted orders, random music, or even creepy laughter.

There are a couple ways to prevent Echo from activating without consent. You can either temporarily mute the microphone or change your wake word. 

2. Amazon Alexa: Enable or Disable Microphone

Press the mute switch on top of your Alexa device to mute your microphone.

Press it again to enable the microphone.

3. Amazon Alexa: Change Wake Word

You can change the "wake word" for Alexa within the Alexa app or by vising echo.amazon.com.

1. Select Settings.
   

1. Select the Alexa-enabled device whose wake word you wish to change.
   

1. Scroll down in the settings until you see "Change your wake word." Select a new wake word from the drop down menu.

Be aware, as the warning above the selection menu indicates, that it will take a few minutes for your changes to take effect and that during this time you will be unable to use your device.