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How to stop Alexa from blurting out the holiday gifts that arrive at your door

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

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Image: KnowTechie

Did you know that any Alexa-enabled device can announce when your packages arrive? Are you already using this feature, so you don’t miss anything important when it’s dropped off?

With holiday gifts on their way to your home, maybe you should limit Alexa’s announcements to household supplies. That way, you won’t possibly ruin any holiday surprises.

It won’t stop anyone in your household from looking in 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

If you want at least a fighting chance to wrap gifts before the surprise is ruined, here’s how to stop Alexa from ratting you out.

  1. Open the Alexa app alexa app icon ios

  2. Tap on More amazon alexa app showing home screen

  3. Tap on Settings > Notifications > Amazon Shoppingamazon alexa settings for amazon packages

  4. Look for the Say or Show Item Titles section

  5. Toggle off Including items in your shopping cart marked as gifts, or those that might be gifts during major holidaysamazon alexa settings to turn off gift announcements

  6. The other thing to definitely turn off is the Request to rate products you’ve purchased toggle, further down that page. Nothing like spoiling the surprise, by asking you to go give a star rating to something you bought as a gift.

  7. While you’re on this page, you could really toggle everything off, at least until after the holidays.

Now your household members won’t know that a gift is on its way, 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, or your pets, or anyone in your household that 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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Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere. His hobbies include photography, animation, and hoarding Reddit gold.

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