You’re using your Alexa wrong! Experts say where it should go

Millions of people around the world own some form of voice assistant to help them put together shopping lists, play music, set reminders and more.

The most popular of these always-on listening devices is the Amazon Echo, often referred to as ‘Alexa’, as it prefers to be addressed as such.

When you set up a smart device like this, the only real requirement is that it be close to a plug socket, so users rarely give much thought to its location.

However, since Alexa was first introduced in 2014, users have learned that some popular locations reduce the ability to hear your voice or put it at risk of damage.

MailOnline reveals the worst places to keep your Echo smart assistant and where you should move it instead.

1. Keep it away from the toilet

A recent study of germs found on smartphones found that 100 percent of screens are home to faecal streptococci — a microbe found in poo.

Bacteria become airborne when flushing the toilet, and can travel up to five feet (1.5 m) from the toilet within eight seconds of flushing.

This explosion of particles will increase until the lid is closed Chances of bacteria falling and landing on your phone or, if nearby, your smart speaker.

So, for hygiene reasons, it’s best to keep your Alexa outside the bathroom or as far away from the toilet as possible.

But if you really need your shower playlist to wake you up in the morning, you can mount it up on the wall.

It’s also a good idea to keep it away from baths and sinks to avoid any possible water contact.

2. Keep it away from the sink

Placing any electrical device near water is, of course, an accident waiting to happen, but potential damage isn’t the only reason you don’t want to put your Alexa near the sink.

Another disadvantage is that the sound from the tap will drown out your voice when you command it.

However, there are definite advantages to having an Amazon Echo in the kitchen, as it can tell you when the washing machine is done if it can hear a beep.

Therefore, it is best to keep it on a counter or table away from the sink to ensure it stays safe and clean and to protect your vocal cords.

3. Keep it away from windows

Placing an Amazon Echo, or any valuable device, near a window is a security risk.

It can serve as an advertisement for criminals, who may try to reach there and take it, or even break it.

If a bad actor gets hold of your voice assistant, they can also access other devices connected to it, like your car or door locks.

So, it is better to keep it in a place that is not visible from the outside of your house.

4. Keep it away from the TV

The virtual assistant’s microphone always hears one of its ‘wake’ words – such as ‘Alexa’ – which triggers it to start recording the user’s command.

Also, Amazon Echo will automatically store all these command recordings unless they are actively erased by the user.

With so many commercials these days featuring an actor saying ‘Alexa, play…’ it’s a good idea to keep your device out of range of the television.

This is to avoid any private conversations being accidentally recorded, as well as being inadvertently, and irritatingly, activated.

5. Keep it out of the bedroom

In 2019, whistleblowers revealed that people working for Amazon had tapped into conversations through Alexa speakers to check the devices’ functionality, which the company confirmed.

As a result, they chose moments such as a woman singing in the shower and reading bank details.

Mathematician and privacy expert Dr. Hannah Fry then said that she put her device down just for this reason.

The associate professor at University College London said: ‘I think there are some places in your home, like bedrooms and bathrooms, that should be completely private.

‘This technology is activated by a trigger word [such as ‘Alexa’] But it keeps recording for a short period of time afterwards.

‘People accept it, but we should all spend more time thinking about what it means to us.’

So, where should I put it?

CNET’s tech experts have revealed the best places to keep your Amazon Echo or other smart speaker.

This is in a corner of the living room, well away from the window, or on the kitchen counter, well away from the sink.

A mantel or shelf is also a good place, especially if it’s easily visible so you can see when it lights up to indicate it’s recording.

Mounting it securely on a wall that doesn’t face a window, again, can help keep it safe, clean and visible, while keeping out background noise well.

But don’t let the privacy risks of owning Alexa completely go away, as its ‘always audible’ status has recently helped bring a murderer to justice.

Amazon voice assistant Daniel White, 36, stored incriminating recordings of the time he strangled his wife, which were used in court.

In October last year, the convicted killer kicked in the locked bedroom door of his wife Angie White and strangled her before slitting her throat with a Stanley knife.

He then fled the home in Swansea, Wales, in his wife’s car and called police hours later to confess to her murder.

Detectives discovered White’s voice commands stored by Alexa at the time of the murder that aided her in her actions.

It was recorded as the ‘out of breath’ voice saying ‘turn on – Alexa’ killed Mrs White in the early hours of the morning.

This was used as evidence to show that he killed her before giving the order.