Alexa

How to stop Alexa from blurting out delivered holiday gifts

You don’t want Alexa spoiling your gifts this holiday season.

by
Joe Rice-Jones
November 1, 2023

Image: KnowTechie

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Did you know that any Alexa-enabled device can announce when your packages arrive? Are you already using this feature, so you can catch everything important when it’s dropped off?

With holiday gifts coming to your home, you should limit Alexa’s announcements to household supplies. That way, you will avoid any holiday surprises.

It won’t stop anyone in your household from looking at your Amazon Orders page, but at least you’ll have a chance to wrap things before they’re spoiled on the doorstep.

How to stop Alexa from announcing gift packages when they arrive

Open the Alexa app

Open the Alexa app on your smartphone.

Head to Settings

Tap on More at the bottom right of the screen.

Head to the Amazon Shopping menu

Tap on Settings, then Notifications, and Amazon Shopping.

Turn off announcements

Look for the Say or Show Item Titles section.

Toggle off the following items

Tap the toggle next to Including items in your shopping cart marked as gifts, or those that might be gifts during major holidays.

Turn off ask to rate

Also, scroll down and tap the toggle next to Request to rate products you’ve purchased. Nothing spoils the surprise more than Amazon asking your family to rate things you’ve bought as a gift.

Maybe turn everything off?

You could always toggle everything on this page off, at least until after the holidays.

Now your household members won’t know that a gift is coming via Amazon. We can’t say that your video doorbell won’t give the game away, however.

We also can’t do anything about your kids, pets, or anyone in your household who habitually checks the front door for packages. Still, at least Alexa won’t be announcing gifts before you’ve had a chance to wrap them up.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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