Are voice assistants always listening?
Their microphones are always on, listening locally for a wake word like "Alexa" or "Hey Siri". Only after they hear it do they start recording and, usually, send your request to the company's servers. What happens to those recordings — how long they're kept and whether "delete" really deletes — depends on the company, and it hasn't always matched the promise.
A voice assistant is like a dog dozing by the door — it's always half-listening for its name. Once it hears it, it runs to fetch whatever you ask, and sometimes keeps a copy of what you said.
- Always listening locallyFor the wake word only
- Wake word heardRecording of your request starts
- Sent and answeredOften processed on the company's servers
- Stored — maybeRecordings or transcripts may be kept
Exact handling differs by company and device — check the assistant's privacy settings.
How the wake word works
Smart speakers and phones keep their microphones on, listening for a wake word. Before you say it, audio is processed on the device; once the wake word is detected, the assistant records your request. Many requests are then sent to the company's servers to be understood and answered, though newer devices handle more speech on the device itself.
What happens to your recordings
Assistants may store recordings or transcripts to improve the service, and most let you review and delete them in the app's privacy settings. The catch is whether deletion is complete: in 2023 the FTC and US Department of Justice found Amazon kept children's Alexa recordings indefinitely and failed to delete transcripts even when parents asked.
Promised features
Assistant makers also advertise abilities that aren't ready yet. Before buying a device for an assistant feature, check whether it works today, on your model and in your country.
▸ THE HYPE VS WHAT WE FOUND
Real claims involving this term, each checked in a PixProof with linked sources.
▸ PIXPROOFS THAT USE THIS TERM (3)
▸ COMPANIES BEHIND IT
HYPE OR REAL?
"When parents asked Amazon to delete their child's Alexa recordings, the data was fully deleted."
The answer: Hype. The FTC and DOJ found Amazon failed to delete transcripts from all its databases — part of why it paid a $25 million penalty.
See the full Amazon Echo (Alexa) PixProof → Play 12 more in Buy or Bye? →▸ QUICK QUESTIONS
- Is Alexa always recording?
- The microphone is always listening for the wake word, but recording of your request starts only after the device detects it.
- How do I delete my voice recordings?
- Use the assistant app's privacy settings — for Alexa, "Alexa Privacy" in the Alexa app.
- Does everything I say go to the cloud?
- Not before the wake word. After it, many requests are processed on the company's servers, though since the early 2020s smart speakers handle more speech on the device itself.
▸ SOURCES
- Wikipedia — Virtual assistant ↗
- Wikipedia — Smart speaker ↗
- FTC — FTC and DOJ charge Amazon with violating children's privacy law (2023) ↗
Spot something wrong? Tell us — corrections are logged, see methodology.