How to Use a Voice Assistant Without It “Always Listening”
Voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant are a convenient way to control smart home devices, set timers, hear the weather, and perform other common tasks. But, if you don’t like the “always listening” part, you can avoid it.
What We Mean When We Say “Always Listening”
Smart speakers (and mobile devices, when they have features like “Hey Siri” or “Hey Google” enabled) aren’t “always listening” in the way you might think. They’re always listening for the voice command that activates them. However, they’re not always recording you. They only record and upload audio when they hear that voice command.