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There is no single master switch that turns Alexa off on an iPhone. What you can do is turn off the part that is bothering you. To stop voice purchasing, open the Alexa app and go to More > Settings > Account Management > Voice Purchasing > Purchase Controls, then choose No one (disable voice purchasing). To stop the app from hearing you, turn off its microphone access in the iPhone Settings app. To stop using Alexa on the phone altogether, sign out of the app or delete it.
This guide covers each of those options for the Amazon Alexa app on an iPhone, using the menu names in Amazon’s and Apple’s current help pages. Menu names in the Alexa app change from time to time, so a label on your screen may differ slightly from the one shown here.
Which Kind of “Off” Do You Need?
People mean different things when they ask how to turn Alexa off on an iPhone. Pick the row that matches your goal, then jump to that section.
| Your goal | What to change | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Stop anyone from ordering by voice | Voice Purchasing | Alexa app |
| Keep ordering but require a spoken code | Voice code | Alexa app |
| Stop the Alexa app from using the microphone | Microphone permission | iPhone Settings |
| Stop Alexa alerts on the phone | Notifications | Alexa app or iPhone Settings |
| Stop using Alexa on this iPhone | Sign out or delete the app | Alexa app or Home Screen |
None of these changes turns off an Echo speaker in your home. An Echo keeps working when you change settings on your phone, although an account setting such as Voice Purchasing applies to every Alexa device on the account.
What You Need
- An iPhone with the Amazon Alexa app installed and signed in.
- The Amazon account that your Echo or other Alexa devices are registered to. Voice Purchasing is an account setting, so changing it from a different account has no effect on those devices.
- An internet connection, because account settings are saved to Amazon and not just to the phone.
How to Turn Off Voice Purchasing in the Alexa App
Voice purchasing is the feature that lets someone place an Amazon order by speaking to Alexa. Amazon says purchasing by voice is enabled by default, so anyone who can talk to your Echo may be able to order with your default payment and shipping settings unless you change it.
- Open the Alexa app on your iPhone.
- Tap More.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Account Management. Some Amazon help pages and some app versions call this Account Settings; it is the same place.
- Tap Voice Purchasing.
- Tap Purchase Controls.
- Select No one (disable voice purchasing).
The change applies to your Amazon account, not just to the iPhone in your hand. You do not need to repeat it for each Echo. Amazon documents these steps on its Turn Alexa Voice Purchasing On or Off help page.
Turning this off does not remove your shopping list or your Amazon wish lists. If you use those, see our guide on how to view your Amazon wish list on an iPhone.
How to Confirm It Worked and How to Undo It
Go back to More > Settings > Account Management > Voice Purchasing > Purchase Controls. The No one (disable voice purchasing) option should still be selected. To turn voice purchasing back on, return to the same screen and pick one of the other options.
Limit Voice Purchasing Without Turning It Off
If you like ordering by voice but want a safeguard, the same Voice Purchasing screen has in-between options.
Require a 4-Digit Voice Code
A voice code is a 4-digit number that Alexa asks you to say out loud before it completes an order. Amazon describes it as a way to confirm purchases or prevent accidental orders.
- Open the Alexa app and tap More > Settings.
- Tap Account Management (or Account Settings), then Voice Purchasing.
- Go to Purchase Confirmation and tap Manage.
- Turn on Voice code and set your 4-digit code.
Keep in mind that the code is spoken aloud, so anyone in the room can hear it. Amazon’s steps are on its Require a Voice Code for Purchases with Alexa page.
Allow Only Recognized Voices
Under Purchase Controls you can choose Only recognized voices and then select who can make voice purchases. This relies on Alexa voice ID, which is a voice profile Alexa uses to tell household members apart. Amazon notes that digital purchases such as Kindle books, Audible, Prime Video, Alexa skills, and Amazon Pay transactions are excluded from this control.
Turn Off Purchasing in Kid Skills
A skill is an add-on for Alexa, similar to an app. To block purchases inside skills made for children, go to More > Settings > Account Management > Voice Purchasing, tap Children’s Content Purchasing, and turn it off.
Stop the Alexa App From Listening on Your iPhone
According to Amazon’s Alexa FAQ, you reach Alexa in the Alexa app by pressing a button and speaking, or by typing a request. The app also asks for microphone permission to support voice requests. If you would rather the app not be able to use the microphone at all, remove that permission in iOS.
- Open the iPhone Settings app.
- Tap Privacy & Security.
- Tap Microphone. The list shows every app that has asked for microphone access.
- Turn off the switch next to Alexa.
After this, you can still type requests and manage devices in the app, but speaking to Alexa through the app will not work until you turn the switch back on. Apple explains this setting in Control access to hardware features on iPhone. Apple also notes that an orange indicator appears at the top of the screen whenever an app is using the microphone, which is a quick way to check.
Some versions of the Alexa app have also included a hands-free option under the app’s settings for Alexa on the phone. If you see a hands-free switch in your app, turn it off. It is not described in Amazon’s current help pages, so it may not appear for you.
This is separate from the iPhone’s own voice features. If your phone is responding to speech when the Alexa app is closed, see our guide on turning Voice Control on or off on an iPhone.
Turn Off Alexa Notifications on the iPhone
There are two places to control Alexa alerts, and they do different jobs.
- In the Alexa app: tap More > Settings > Notifications, select a feature or service, and use the toggle to turn its notifications off. For reminders that appear on the phone, Amazon points to Reminders on this device in the same menu.
- In iPhone Settings: open Settings > Notifications, tap Alexa, and turn off Allow Notifications. This blocks every alert from the app on this iPhone.
Use the app setting when you only want to quiet one type of alert, and the iPhone setting when you want none of them. Amazon covers the app side on its Turn Alexa Notifications On or Off page, and Apple covers the phone side in Change notification settings on iPhone. For sounds coming from a speaker, not the phone, see how to turn off the notification sound on an Echo Dot.
Sign Out of the Alexa App or Delete It
If you no longer want Alexa on this iPhone at all, you have two options. Before you do either, note that the Alexa app is how most Echo settings are changed. If this phone is the only place you manage your devices, change any account settings you care about, such as Voice Purchasing, first.
Sign Out
- Open the Alexa app and tap More > Settings.
- Tap Account Management.
- Tap Sign Out.
Signing out leaves the app installed but disconnects it from your Amazon account on this phone. To undo it, open the app and sign in again.
Delete the App
- Touch and hold the Alexa app icon on the Home Screen or in App Library.
- Tap Remove App, then tap Delete App.
- Tap Delete to confirm.
Apple says deleting an app removes it and its data from the iPhone. It does not close your Amazon account, and it does not turn off or reset your Echo devices, which stay registered to your account. Settings saved to your account, including Voice Purchasing, are account settings and are not stored only on the phone. You can download the app again from the App Store later.
Troubleshooting
- You do not see Account Management. Look for Account Settings in the same Settings list. Amazon’s own help pages use both names. If neither appears, update the Alexa app from the App Store and check again.
- You do not see Voice Purchasing. Make sure you are signed in with the Amazon account that owns the Echo devices. The exact options can also vary by country.
- Orders still go through. Confirm that No one (disable voice purchasing) is still selected, and check whether someone else in the home has changed it. Amazon also states that some skills let you buy from the skill’s developer with a payment method given directly to that developer, and your voice purchasing settings may not apply to those purchases.
- Alexa is missing from the Microphone list. The list only shows apps that have requested access. If the Alexa app has never asked to use the microphone, there is nothing to switch off.
- Alerts keep appearing after you change the app setting. Turn off Allow Notifications for Alexa in iPhone Settings as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does turning off voice purchasing on my iPhone affect my Echo?
Yes. Voice Purchasing is a setting for your Amazon account, and Amazon describes it as turning voice purchasing on or off for your account. The iPhone app is just where you change it, so it covers the Alexa devices registered to that account.
Is the Alexa app on my iPhone always listening?
Amazon’s Alexa FAQ says that in the Alexa app you access Alexa by pressing a button and speaking or by typing, unlike hands-free devices such as an Echo that respond to a wake word. A wake word is the word, such as “Alexa,” that tells a device to start listening. If you want to be certain the app cannot use the microphone, turn off its microphone permission in Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone.
Can guests or kids still order things if I leave voice purchasing on?
They may be able to, because Amazon enables purchasing by voice by default. A voice code or the Only recognized voices option reduces the risk, and No one (disable voice purchasing) removes it for Amazon voice orders. Our article on guests who use your Echo has more on visitors.
Will deleting the Alexa app turn off my Echo speaker?
No. Deleting the app only removes it from the iPhone. The speaker stays registered to your Amazon account and keeps responding. To stop an Echo from listening, Amazon says Echo devices have a microphone on/off button that disconnects power to the microphones and shows a red light.
Can I review what Alexa has recorded?
Yes. In the Alexa app, tap More > Alexa Privacy > Review Alexa History to review or delete entries. Amazon explains more in its Alexa and Alexa Device FAQs.
Next Steps
Once purchasing is locked down, it is worth a minute to tidy the rest of the app. If you have several speakers, such as more than one Amazon Echo Dot, learn how to rename devices in the Alexa app so each one is easy to identify. If you use Alexa with smart home gear, you may also like our guide on how to open the garage from your iPhone.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.