Hey New Yorkers, Did You Know You Can Turn Off Amazon Delivery Notifications?

Way to ruin the surprise, Alexa!

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My husband and I bought our son a swingset for Christmas and we couldn't wait to see his face on Christmas morning. Unfortunately, thanks to Alexa announcing the contents of the package delivered to our house, our little boy found out what his big gift was much sooner than we wanted him to.

The holiday shopping season is here, and with it comes the anticipation of receiving those much-awaited packages. However, if you have an Amazon Echo speaker or smart display at home, you may have experienced Alexa announcing package deliveries, potentially spoiling the surprise of what's inside just like what happened to my family.

Go figure, it was only after Alexa informed my son what his gift was following delivery that I thought maybe there might be a way to stop Alexa from announcing deliveries. As it turns out, there is. Hopefully, this works for you!

Download and Open the Alexa App

Start by downloading and opening the Alexa app on your smartphone. Log in with your Amazon account credentials to access the necessary settings.

Navigating to the Notification Settings

Once you have the Alexa app open, tap on the "More" option located in the bottom right corner. This will lead you to the settings menu.

Access Amazon Shopping Notifications

In the settings menu, you'll find a "Notifications" option. Tap on it, and then select "Amazon Shopping" from the list of options.

Toggle Off "For Items in Delivery Updates"

Under the section titled "Say or Show Item Titles," you'll see a toggle switch for "For items in delivery updates." Simply tap on the toggle button to turn it off. This step will prevent Alexa from announcing the items in your deliveries.

Disabling Package Alerts

For added protection against spoilers, you can also turn off package alerts in the "Delivery Notifications" section, located just below the item titles settings. This will prevent Alexa from notifying you about the arrival of packages altogether.

Testing the Settings

To make sure that your new settings are working correctly, you can perform a quick test. Say, "Alexa, where's my stuff?" If you've successfully turned off the relevant settings, Alexa will only inform you about the estimated arrival time of your shipment. Additionally, when you turn off delivery notifications, the base of your Echo speaker will no longer flash yellow, indicating that your package is on its way.

With these simple steps, you can prevent Alexa from announcing your incoming deliveries and keep your holiday surprises a surprise!