On June 8th, 2021, Amazon will automatically enroll your devices in Amazon Sidewalk.
If you have these devices in your home, get ready, because Amazon is using your Amazon devices to start sharing your Wi-Fi with your neighbors, to create a mesh style network. This will be turned on by default. The Amazon website for Sidewalk says this will currently only be enabled in the United States.
So, what is Amazon Sidewalk?
“Essentially it is a shared network that helps devices work better, Operated by Amazon at no charge to the customers, Sidewalk can help simplify new device setup, extend the low bandwidth working range of devices to help find pets or valuables with Tile trackers, and help devices stay online even if they are outside of the range of their home Wi-Fi.” - Sidewalk
Here is the list of devices that will be affected according to Amazon:
“Sidewalk Bridges are devices that provide connections to Amazon Sidewalk. Today, Sidewalk Bridges include many Echo devices and select Ring Floodlight and Spotlight Cams. A comprehensive list of Sidewalk devices includes: Ring Floodlight Cam (2019), Ring Spotlight Cam Wired (2019), Ring Spotlight Cam Mount (2019), Echo (3rd gen and newer), Echo Dot (3rd gen and newer), Echo Dot for Kids (3rd gen and newer), Echo Dot with Clock (3rd gen and newer), Echo Plus (all generations), Echo Show (2nd gen), Echo Show 5, 8, 10 (all generations), Echo Spot, Echo Studio, Echo Input, Echo Flex.”
Now if you are like me, you might have amazon devices in your home, I have ring doorbell cameras as well as The Echo dot, and Echo shows and a few echo spots. I have no desire to be enrolled in this and luckily there are five simple steps to turn this off.
Five simple steps to turn this feature off:
1. Opening the Alexa app
2. Opening More and selecting Settings
3. Selecting Account Settings
4. Selecting Amazon Sidewalk
5. Turning Amazon Sidewalk Off
