How to prevent your kids purchasing through Alexa – Amazon Echo

The Amazon Echo entered UK homes last year and this handy gadget has made online shopping extremely convenient, thanks to voice purchasing. This audible feature allows you to speak to Alexa which means you can order what you need without being in front of a screen.

This comes in really useful as you don’t need to make a paper list or send yourself a reminder, you can literally add what you need straight to the Amazon shopping cart by speaking to Alexa. Fortunately, Amazon needs you to authorise your purchase by saying “Yes,” but you may still want to increase the security on Alexa purchases – particularly if you have kids, as there have been cases where users have had items added to their shopping cart when Alexa hears sound from children, the TV and even picking up on a conversation. So if you don’t fancy having your children’s extravagant wish list turning up at your door, put up a barrier for those unwanted purchases.

How to prevent children purchasing with Alexa:

To secure voice purchasing with Alexa there are a couple of options – either completely disable the feature or set up a passcode.

If you choose to disable voice purchasing you can continue to shop with your Amazon Echo or Amazon Dot and add items to your shopping cart. The only drawback is that in order to complete the transaction you’ll need to complete check out by visiting the Amazon website or Amazon app.

Step-by-step guide on how to disable the voice purchasing feature:

1. Visit alexa.amazon.co.uk or you can open the Alexa app on your smartphone/ tablet.
2. Click on ‘Settings’ in the left menu and choose ‘Voice Purchasing’
3. Now to disable the feature, just press the button beside where it says ‘Purchase by voice’

It really is as simple as that!

How to set up a passcode:

If you’d prefer to set up a passcode instead of completely disabling the feature, this is also a straightforward procedure.

Setting up a confirmation code lets you keep voice purchasing on, it simply restricts unauthorised purchases on your Amazon account. It’s worthwhile remembering that as you need to say your passcode out loud, if another person in hearing range overhears the code they’ll then know what it is.

To create a confirmation passcode:

1. Visit alexa.amazon.co.uk or you can open the Alexa app on your smartphone/ tablet.
2. In the left menu click on ‘Settings’
3. Select ‘Voice Purchasing’
4. If Voice Purchasing isn’t enabled click the button beside ‘Purchase by voice’ to allow it
5. In the section next to ‘Require confirmation code’ create and enter a PIN code (4 digits)
6. Lastly, select ‘Save’

Consider using a passcode which won’t be easily guessed in your household. Also as an extra precaution you could change the code on a regular basis.

What happens if you forget the code?

Don’t worry, you can view the code in the Voice Purchasing settings at any time.

We can only expect more voice-activated devices to enter their way into homes so it’s something which parents will have to be on the lookout for.

Love Alexa? Check out our blog on funny things to ask Alexa.