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SoundGuy
Contributor I
October 4, 2017
Answered

Disable "listening" services like Alexa?

  • October 4, 2017
  • 16 replies
  • 19661 views
I hope Sonos provides some way to completely disable Alexa or any other listening-servie on its hardware and software if they are going the voice-command route. I'm extremely security and privacy conscious, and have to be in my work. I can't understand why anyone would want a device "listening" to everything said in the home or office setting. Trusting devices like that suggests a lot more faith and trust in companies and government than I have, despite assurances that it only listens for the key phrase to activate. It's a sure bet there's either a back door in it, or someone will hack it to eavesdrop on everything.
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    Best answer by Ryan S
    Quoted from my announcement post here:

    Security and Microphones
    Your security and data are very important to us, as we said in our blog here. With Sonos One we are keeping to that.

    Sonos One is designed with extra security: An illuminated LED indicator light ensures you always know when your speaker’s microphones are active or turned off. You can tap on the microphone symbol to enable or disable the microphones, the light is always tied to the microphone’s status. For security and privacy reasons, it’s impossible to disable the LED when the microphones are turned on.

    Simply put, there's an LED that will be on if your microphone is on. There isn't a workaround or way to separate them without cracking open the case or breaking the LED.

    16 replies

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    Plover
    Lyricist III
    October 5, 2017
    It states: IN THIS UPDATE: Your home Sound Systme is always improving. Now enjoy easier room control, faster time to your favorite music and simpler navigation. (I get that) Then, it states: AND currently in Open Beta in the US, UK and Germany, our CURRENT UPDATE combines the great sound and multi-room listening of Sonos with the easy-to-use voice service of Amazon Alexa.
    jgatie
    jgatie
    October 5, 2017
    jgatie, you didn't get it. I suppose I was not clear enough. It is about the update. It is not clear whether those who don't have Alexis or not looking to buy it should download the current update. Information with the update indicates that a portion of it at least is beta. Beta updates sometimes will mess up a lot of things. I did not download the update, because it is not clear to me that I should. If you don't have some civil reply, why bother?

    It's "Alexa".

    The current Sonos update is a full general release. The Alexa skill that enables Alexa control of Sonos, and is present only on the Alexa devices, is the beta. If you never enable the Alexa skill on a Alexa device, you are not running any portion of the beta.
      jgatie
      jgatie
      October 5, 2017
      It states: IN THIS UPDATE: Your home Sound Systme is always improving. Now enjoy easier room control, faster time to your favorite music and simpler navigation. (I get that) Then, it states: AND currently in Open Beta in the US, UK and Germany, our CURRENT UPDATE combines the great sound and multi-room listening of Sonos with the easy-to-use voice service of Amazon Alexa.

      Yes, the Alexa skill is in open beta. The Sonos is a general release.

      Just a little info about Sonos public betas: If the Sonos app was in beta, you would not have access to it unless you joined the beta team. You also could not download a version from the Apple Store or Google Play, it would have to come from Sonos's beta site, and in the case of the iOS app it would not be available at all because Apple does not allow public betas for iOS.
        Plover
        Lyricist III
        October 5, 2017
        Thank you. I got it. I just have very careful when it sounds like I might be getting something that I don't want now or that could be a change that could undo my current perfectly working Sonos. We bought it for Music and radio. At our age we do not want to get caught talking to devices sitting in the room. 🙂
        Chris
        Chris
        Lead Maestro
        October 5, 2017
        THE new software does not enable voice control via the software. It allows you if and only if you have an alexa device to link it to your Sonos account if you so chose to provide a away to have alexa push music to your Sonos system. Downloading the software and installing it in no way provides some kind of voice control in app or via the speaker itself. If you have no alexa devices over privacy concerns you don’t enable the skill within alexa and Sonos will have no voice control. Simple as that. There is no reason not to install the new version because of fears regarding voice control privacy.
        Respect the Queue (2)Move (3)Beam (1) Era100 (2)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1) Roam (2) Ace (1)Connect:Amp (4)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings; (2)Play)
          SoundGuyAuthor
          Contributor I
          October 6, 2017
          Skelton:

          (I won't bother quoting the whole message) Thanks for your carefully thought out, thorough and considerate reply. You made some very, very valid points that I had not considered, at least not in the way you described them. And you did it without taking offense at what I wrote and retaliating. It's easy to misunderstand in forum posts, and easy to over-react in what we say. I think I assumed you hadn't thought it through. Again, many thanks.

          One point of clarification on my points...since I've never owned an Alexa product, I was not aware of how you have to enable a particular skill, nor even that term. That's good to know.

          Oops. Maybe my mind is changing.... Look out!!
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