Don't let a good deed go unpunished - removing phone contacts

[backprop]

I purchased a Dot for my 87 year old neighbor who's nearly blind.  I thought it would help her with daily tasks which she struggles with.

When I took it over to her, I realized she needed a smartphone to do setup, but didn't have one. So, I used mine (I don't have an Echo).  I downloaded the app and set up her Dot.  I set up the calling portion using her non-smartphone cell phone number. So far so good.

If she has Alexa call by phone number ("Alexa, call (212) 555-5555") it works great!   She knows phone numbers by heart and that's all she needs.

But a few times, she slipped and said "Alexa, call Joe."  Well, it's dialing Joe from MY contacts list.  And I can't find a way to remove my contacts from her Alexa account.  I deleted the app off my phone, but nope: her Echo still knows my contacts names and numbers.

Note this is NOT the device-to-device calling where you can block individuals.  I had about 5 contacts that have Echos and blocked them all.  I'm specifically talking about names and phone numbers that imported from my contacts list.

Has anyone had experience on how to delete these contacts even after the app is uninstalled from my phone??

Thank you!

[twva]

To answer your question about deleting contacts, currently you can't. Once you have enabled the calling feature you can't even disable it without calling Amazon. You can go into the calling feature on your Alexa app and block individual contacts from calling/messaging; that may be sufficient for many users but consider that every time you add a new contact. I disabled the feature by calling Amazon; at first the rep told me it was impossible to remove or disable the feature, but after some pressure from me and research on their side, the rep was able to reset the feature (as if I had not given Alexa permission to my contacts in the first place). My contacts list then disappeared from the Alexa App.

This is a case example of what I believe is a clear and serious problem with Alexa calling. There are some articles and discussions about this around the internet, although most seem to focus on the risk of Amazon saving a copy of your contacts; I don't believe there is much risk in having a copy of your contacts saved within your own Amazon account, but instead the risk is that anyone within voice reach of your Echo/Alexa can ask Alexa to call anyone on your contact list without you or your phone being there! While that may be a low risk scenario for many Alexa users, there is no layer of permission at the point of calling and that could lead to unintended and even harmful consequences in some cases. I don't believe many Alexa users even realize this (yet). I believe Amazon could fix this by making Alexa's contact list an opt-in (rather than an opt-out) procedure and optionally some confirmation (e.g. a voice PIN) at the point a call is made.

[opsman0001]

Agreed twva - there should be more control by the user on what information is put/leaked into the Amazon database and how/where this information is shared.

In the mean time backprop - I plan on getting my 84 y.o. mother a dot soon. Due to the constraints on loading contacts, I'll tell you what my plan is to make hers personal. I have extra android phones here and will use one to load her contacts in so that it will sync with the dot (deleting my old out, of course). She will have to have an Amazon account set up 1st which I'll do and then go from there on setting up the dot. I think the factory reset option will have to be done as well.
Not 100% certain things will go smoothly but really don't see any reason why it shouldn't work.

To answer your question about deleting contacts, currently you can't. Once you have enabled the calling feature you can't even disable it without calling Amazon. You can go into the calling feature on your Alexa app and block individual contacts from calling/messaging; that may be sufficient for many users but consider that every time you add a new contact. I disabled the feature by calling Amazon; at first the rep told me it was impossible to remove or disable the feature, but after some pressure from me and research on their side, the rep was able to reset the feature (as if I had not given Alexa permission to my contacts in the first place). My contacts list then disappeared from the Alexa App.

This is a case example of what I believe is a clear and serious problem with Alexa calling. There are some articles and discussions about this around the internet, although most seem to focus on the risk of Amazon saving a copy of your contacts; I don't believe there is much risk in having a copy of your contacts saved within your own Amazon account, but instead the risk is that anyone within voice reach of your Echo/Alexa can ask Alexa to call anyone on your contact list without you or your phone being there! While that may be a low risk scenario for many Alexa users, there is no layer of permission at the point of calling and that could lead to unintended and even harmful consequences in some cases. I don't believe many Alexa users even realize this (yet). I believe Amazon could fix this by making Alexa's contact list an opt-in (rather than an opt-out) procedure and optionally some confirmation (e.g. a voice PIN) at the point a call is made.

[asianrocker]

I have extra android phones here and will use one to load her contacts in so that it will sync with the dot (deleting my old out, of course). She will have to have an Amazon account set up 1st which I'll do and then go from there on setting up the dot. I think the factory reset option will have to be done as well.
Not 100% certain things will go smoothly but really don't see any reason why it shouldn't work.

It won't work. The phone must have active phone connection, as far as I know. That's why you can't set up calling with tablets.

[asianrocker]

I don't believe there is much risk in having a copy of your contacts saved within your own Amazon account, but instead the risk is that anyone within voice reach of your Echo/Alexa can ask Alexa to call anyone on your contact list without you or your phone being there! While that may be a low risk scenario for many Alexa users, there is no layer of permission at the point of calling and that could lead to unintended and even harmful consequences in some cases.

I don't get it. How can they use your echo from outside. I am like a foot away on same room with my echo and she still has a hard time hearing me. LOL.

They look pretty stupid too talking and screaming to no one outside. Plus, how can they call your contact if they don't even know their contact name and number?