Amazon has implemented significant changes to the privacy settings of its Echo devices, raising concerns among users about the trade-off between convenience and data security. Starting March 28, all Alexa voice recordings will automatically be sent to Amazon’s cloud for processing, eliminating the option for local processing that previously allowed users to keep their data off Amazon’s servers.

The discontinued “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” feature was available on select Echo devices, including the Echo Dot (4th Gen), Echo Show 10, and Echo Show 15. This feature allowed audio commands to be processed locally on the device instead of being transmitted to Amazon’s cloud. However, Amazon has now replaced it with a “Don’t Save Recordings” setting, which deletes recordings after processing but still requires them to be sent to the cloud initially.

Amazon justified the move by citing its efforts to enhance Alexa’s capabilities with generative AI features that rely on cloud processing. The company stated that these changes are necessary to support Alexa+, a new AI-powered version of its voice assistant designed to provide more conversational and personalized interactions.

While users can still opt for the “Don’t Save Recordings” setting, doing so disables certain features like Voice ID. Voice ID allows Alexa to recognize individual voices and provide personalized responses, such as tailored calendar reminders or music playlists. 

Amazon has reassured customers that voice recordings will be encrypted during transmission and deleted after processing if the “Don’t Save Recordings” setting is enabled. 

The changes are part of a broader trend in the tech industry toward integrating AI into smart home devices. Amazon hopes its revamped Alexa+ service will compete with offerings from Apple, Google, and other companies investing heavily in generative AI technologies. 

Here is Amazon’s message to affected Echo customers:

We are reaching out to let you know that the Alexa feature “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” that you enabled on your supported Echo device(s) will no longer be available beginning March 28th, 2025. This feature allowed compatible Echo devices to process the audio of Alexa requests locally on device. As we continue to expand Alexa’s capabilities with generative AI features that rely on the preceding power of Amazon’s secure cloud, we have decided to no longer support this feature.

If you do not take action, your Alexa Settings will automatically be updated to “Don’t save recordings.” This means that, starting on March 28th, your voice recordings will be sent to and processed in the cloud, and they will be deleted after Alexa processes your requests. Any previously saved voice recordings will also be deleted. If your voice recordings setting is updated to “Don’t save recordings,” voice ID will not work and you will not be able to create a voice ID for individual users to access more personalized features.

It is important to note that only a handful of Echo devices supported the feature. According to Amazon, these were the 4th. generation Echo Dot, and the Echo Show 10 and 15. The feature was also only available for users in the United States who set the device language to English.

While that certainly limits the number of affected users, it certainly won’t sit well with users who do not want their voice data transmitted to the cloud.

Whereas other companies launch on-device processing features, it appears that Amazon has decided to focus solely on the cloud.