Don't just plop your Amazon Echo anywhere in your home. You and your Alexa assistant will thank you.
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| © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc. Keep your Amazon Echo in a safe place. Sarah Tew/CNET |
By Katie Conner, CNET
Your Amazon Echo
gives you all the information you need to set it up -- except telling
you the best and safest areas in your house to place the smart speaker.
You're probably thinking, "Does it really matter where I put it as long
as I can speak to Alexa from most areas in my house?" Our answer is yes.
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| © Sarah Tew/CNET |
Placing your Alexa device in certain areas of your house could risk your privacy, security or even damage your Echo.
For
example, did you know intruders can access your smart speaker from
outside if it's placed too close to a window? We're here to tell you
where you shouldn't place your Echo speaker and the best spots for it.
Read on for more information.
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| © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc. |
Amazon Echo Studio and new Echo Dot are big on sound and time
Near a toilet
Placing
an Echo near your toilet is gross. Think of all the germs that linger
around that area -- even in super clean bathrooms. However, if you must have an Echo speaker in your bathroom (and ok, we do see the appeal), try placing it as far away from the toilet as possible.
If you can, mount it on a wall
with a sticky strip or a nail. Just make sure it's secure so it doesn't
fall and remember to place it near an outlet so you can plug it in.
Also, keep it away from the bathtub (duh!). You wouldn't want to fry
your speaker, or you.
On a sink
If you're trying to drown out the sounds of Alexa's
voice, then, by all means, place your expensive Echo on a sink.
However, if you want to keep it intact, never place it anywhere near
water.
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| © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc. Don't even think about putting your Echo near the bathtub! Chris Monroe/CNET |
You don't want to risk your kitchen water sprayer going haywire and
soaking your Echo's speaker. Instead, place it on a different counter
that doesn't have a sink, like an island, or tuck it into a corner where
it's farther from splattering spaghetti sauce and water spray. It'll
stay cleaner and might sound better, too.
By a window
Keep
your smart speaker away from all the windows in your house. Not only
does it give anyone from the outside access your Echo, but they'll
potentially have access to your other smart home devices. For example, if your car is connected to your smart speaker, someone may be able to unlock and start it.
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| © Provided by CBS Interactive Inc. If your Echo is near a window, move it. Tyler Lizenby/CNET |
Also, with the recent laser hacks on smart speakers
that tricks Alexa into performing commands, it's important to keep your
Echo's mic out of sight from a window. Fortunately, there haven't been
any confirmed cases of this, but according to researchers, it's
possible. But if someone can see your device through the window, it's
time to move it or barricade it because that leaves your device exposed.
For example, someone could buy something online using your smart
speaker.
Under your TV
How many commercials are out there that say
"Alexa, play…" and then activate your Echo? Or even if the TV says
anything remotely that sounds like "Alexa," take a guess at what's going
to activate.
Not only does this interrupt the show you're
watching, but it also starts recording what's said after the command. So
if you're having a private conversation and Alexa kicks on, you're risking your privacy. Placing it on a side table makes more sense and is more likely to keep the voice assistant quiet until you make a command.
Where to place your Echo
- In the corner of your living room (away from windows, of course)
- A place where it's easily visible for you, so you can see when the light ring lights up
- On your bedside table
- On the edge of your kitchen counter -- far, far away from your sink
- On a mantle or shelf
- Mounted on a wall that's not facing a window
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