A veteran Windows engineer says his smart speakers quietly drained gigabytes of bandwidth while sitting idle—reigniting questions about Echo data practices just as Amazon moves all Alexa voice processing to the cloud. In posts shared September 5–6, 2025, he reported two Echo Show devices used over 4 GB in a single day, despite no deliberate interaction, and he emphasized he does not believe the devices are spying—only that the data volume is abnormal [1].

Key Takeaways

– Shows two Echo Show units consumed over 4 GB in 24 hours, implying roughly 170–180 MB per hour combined, despite reportedly sitting unused [1]. – Reveals Alexa will route 100% of voice requests to the cloud on March 28, 2025, ending on-device processing to support generative AI [2]. – Demonstrates privacy controls are narrowing: disabling “send recordings” will break Voice ID, reducing options for limiting audio uploads [2]. – Indicates Amazon dropped a “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” feature; experts cite a 2023 $25M settlement as privacy context for users [4]. – Suggests Echo Show screens may drive heavier downloads and updates; new Alexa Plus hardware and services scale up in fall 2025 [3].

What the 4GB day tells us about Echo data

Dave W. Plummer, a well-known software engineer, posted network screenshots showing two Echo Show devices consuming over 4 GB within 24 hours, sparking debate over Echo data behavior when devices are “unused.” He clarified he doesn’t suspect spying, but the sheer volume surprised him and others who saw his posts on September 5–6, 2025 [1]. Tom’s Hardware canvassed likely technical explanations—from firmware downloads and cached video assets to accidental wake words and Amazon Sidewalk traffic—rather than covert monitoring [1].

If sustained, a 4 GB/day draw equates to roughly 120 GB per month across the two devices—significant for metered or congested connections. In hourly terms, that’s around 170–180 MB per hour combined. Put differently, it approximates a constant trickle near 0.35–0.40 Mbps across the day, enough to matter on slower links or during peak use [1]. The case does not prove a systemic issue across all devices, but it highlights how Echo data patterns can spike without obvious user activity [1].

How cloud-first Alexa changes Echo data flows on March 28

This report lands as Amazon finalizes a major architectural shift: as of March 28, 2025, every Echo will send all Alexa voice requests to Amazon’s cloud, ending on-device intent processing in favor of server-side generative AI models [2]. Amazon says the change is necessary to power new AI capabilities; however, it means more consistent uplink traffic—every utterance travels to the cloud, processed remotely, then returns with a response [2].

Ars Technica notes a consequential side effect: if users disable the “send recordings” setting, Voice ID will stop working, narrowing privacy configurations that once limited audio retention while preserving conveniences [2]. The balance tilts toward richer AI features at the expense of local handling and granular controls, potentially increasing baseline Echo data flows under normal usage, even if the device appears idle between requests [2].

The near-term privacy context for Echo data

TechCrunch reported on March 15, 2025 that Amazon is removing the longstanding “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” option, with all Alexa audio now routed to the cloud by default [4]. The change revives concerns in light of Amazon’s 2023 $25 million settlement over children’s Alexa recordings—a settlement cited by experts who argue users need clearer, enforceable controls and insight into how data is collected, secured, and retained [4]. Wired adds that Amazon says voice recordings are encrypted in transit and deleted after processing, which mitigates some risks but doesn’t fully address calls for stronger user agency and transparency [5].

Wired’s overview suggests cautious steps for privacy-oriented households: review Alexa Privacy settings to understand what’s uploaded and when, and unplug devices if worried about passive collection—especially during sensitive moments or when not needed [5]. While the 4 GB case centers on bandwidth rather than surveillance, the policy shift intensifies scrutiny of both the volume and governance of Echo data [5].

Potential technical causes behind the idle data surge

Tom’s Hardware highlighted several plausible, non-nefarious causes that could produce multi-gigabyte totals without explicit commands [1]. Each would contribute differently to Echo data usage:

– Firmware and feature updates: Periodic downloads can be hundreds of megabytes, especially when devices receive major AI upgrades or UI changes [1]. – Cached video or UI assets: Echo Show displays are more bandwidth-hungry than speakers because they download visual elements, video tiles, and content previews [1]. – Accidental wake words and short interactions: Background TV or conversation can trigger false wakes, creating bursts of cloud requests, even if the user doesn’t recall interactions [1]. – Amazon Sidewalk: Participation in the neighborhood network can generate background traffic that users overlook, depending on local conditions and device roles [1].

None of these explanations is definitive for the case in question, but together they map a plausible route to gigabyte-scale Echo data drip without direct human prompts, particularly on display-based Echo Show units [1].

Quantifying the impact: daily, monthly, and bandwidth terms

To contextualize the 4 GB day, consider three frames:

– Daily to monthly: 4 GB/day sustained equals about 120 GB/month across the two devices, a meaningful share of many broadband data caps or cellular hotspots [1]. – Hourly pace: A combined 4 GB/24 hours averages roughly 170–180 MB/hour, noticeable if a household contends with multiple streaming devices during peak hours [1]. – Bitrate view: That sustained load resembles an ongoing 0.35–0.40 Mbps trickle—small in isolation but additive alongside video calls, 4K streams, or game updates [1].

If the total were uneven (e.g., one device doing most of the work), a single Echo Show could easily exceed 2 GB/day, especially during update cycles. Conversely, if most of the data clustered in a few hours, it could indicate a scheduled update window, which users might catch by comparing router logs to the devices’ activity history [1]. While the numbers derive from one owner’s logs, they underscore the need for transparency into Echo data pathways and controls [1].

Echo data transparency vs. shrinking local controls

As cloud reliance grows, the visibility afforded by consumer routers may be the only way many users detect Echo data anomalies. Yet policy changes are narrowing on-device privacy options, such as the removal of the “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” feature and the dependency of Voice ID on allowing recordings, as reported by Tech media in March 2025 [2][4]. Wired’s note that recordings are encrypted in transit and deleted after processing is important—but it doesn’t help a user diagnose why gigabytes moved or how to throttle them without losing capabilities [5].

Amazon’s rationale—generative AI’s hunger for cloud compute—is consistent with broader industry trends. It also means the “baseline” for Echo data may rise over time as language models, multimodal interfaces, and proactive features expand—particularly on display devices that fetch larger assets [2][3]. The tradeoff is fine AI assistance versus minimized network footprint, and the company’s current posture clearly favors the former [2].

What Amazon’s next-gen Echo lineup means for Echo data load

The Verge reports Amazon plans a “brand new lineup” for fall 2025, led by Alexa Plus, a paid tier priced at $19.99 per month or included with Prime, and a larger emphasis on screen-first experiences [3]. The trajectory suggests bigger over-the-air updates, richer visuals, and more frequent server-side model improvements, all of which can nudge Echo data usage higher over a device’s life [3].

Screens have always been a differentiator in bandwidth: even static UI refreshes and background content carousels can produce more frequent downloads than speaker-only devices. As Amazon leans into generative AI and proactive assistance, the cadence of content refreshes, firmware updates, and cloud model calls can grow, especially around product launches and major feature milestones [3]. For users on limited connections, this evolution should inform where and how Echo Show devices are deployed in the home [3].

How Alexa’s cloud shift reframes expectations for Echo data

The March 28 switch flips the default assumption: even if an Echo appears idle, it’s positioned to rely on cloud resources for core functions the moment a wake word is detected [2]. Ars Technica emphasizes the practical consequence—every request goes uplink, and opting out of sending recordings now disables Voice ID—reducing the flexibility some users previously used to manage privacy and bandwidth tradeoffs [2]. For those monitoring Echo data, this means spikes may correlate not only with usage but with policy and feature rollouts [2].

TechCrunch’s coverage places this in an ongoing privacy storyline, recalling the $25 million settlement around children’s recordings and the community’s demand for more transparent controls [4]. Wired’s advice to check privacy settings or unplug devices when not needed now doubles as a bandwidth tactic: fewer powered-on hours can equal fewer background downloads and lower risk of surprise traffic [5].

Practical steps: cutting Echo data without breaking features

Based on the reporting and expert recommendations, households concerned about Echo data can try incremental steps—prioritizing visibility and control rather than guesswork:

– Check activity history and notifications: Look for signs of firmware updates, content refreshes, or repeated false wakes that match router spikes, then adjust wake-word sensitivity or routines as needed [1][5]. – Evaluate Sidewalk participation: If enabled, consider whether neighborhood network sharing aligns with your bandwidth situation; disabling it may reduce background traffic in some cases [1]. – Schedule downtime: Unplug or power-cycle Echo devices during known update windows or overnight if bandwidth surprises persist; it’s the most reliable way to halt background downloads for that period [1][5]. – Revisit privacy settings: Understand that after March 28, all voice requests go to the cloud; disabling recordings affects Voice ID, so weigh convenience against data upload volume and privacy posture [2][4][5]. – Plan for display devices: Place Echo Show units on connections with more headroom, since their screens inherently pull larger UI assets and updates than speaker-only units [1][3].

These steps can’t eliminate every cloud call—especially under the new architecture—but they can reduce the likelihood of another 4 GB day appearing on your network without explanation [1][2][5].

Why the story matters beyond one household’s log

Plummer’s screenshots do not prove a universal flaw, and Tom’s Hardware responsibly frames the event as a catalyst for deeper questions rather than definitive evidence of misbehavior [1]. Yet the timing is notable: consumers are grappling with diminished local controls and expanding cloud reliance right as next-gen Echo hardware debuts with more ambitious AI features [2][3][4][5]. A single day of >4 GB may be an outlier, but the system incentives point toward more, not less, background activity over time [1][2][3].

For Amazon, the challenge is communication and control: clarifying what traffic is expected, when, and why; furnishing tools to audit Echo data; and offering meaningful opt-outs without disabling core functionality. For users, the task is situational management—placing devices where bandwidth is plentiful, watching for anomalies, and using the limited levers still available to keep cloud convenience from quietly crowding out the rest of the home network [2][4][5].

Sources:

[1] Tom’s Hardware – Amazon Echo is reportedly an internet vampire that uses gigabytes of data per day despite being unused, says owner: www.tomshardware.com/speakers/amazon-echo-uses-gigabytes-of-data-despite-not-being-used-its-owner-doesnt-think-hes-being-spied-on” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>https://www.tomshardware.com/speakers/amazon-echo-uses-gigabytes-of-data-despite-not-being-used-its-owner-doesnt-think-hes-being-spied-on

[2] Ars Technica – Everything You Say to Your Echo Will Soon Be Sent to Amazon, and You Can’t Opt Out: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/everything-you-say-to-your-echo-will-be-sent-to-amazon-starting-on-march-28/ [3] The Verge – Amazon CEO says ‘beautiful’ new Alexa hardware is coming this fall: www.theverge.com/news/621236/amazon-andy-jassy-beautiful-alexa-hardware” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>https://www.theverge.com/news/621236/amazon-andy-jassy-beautiful-alexa-hardware

[4] TechCrunch – Amazon’s Echo is ending its ‘Do Not Send Voice Recordings’ feature, starting March 28: https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/15/amazons-echo-will-send-all-voice-recordings-to-the-cloud-starting-march-28/ [5] Wired – Everything you say to your Echo will be sent to Amazon starting on March 28: www.wired.com/story/everything-you-say-to-your-echo-will-be-sent-to-amazon-starting-march-28/” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>https://www.wired.com/story/everything-you-say-to-your-echo-will-be-sent-to-amazon-starting-march-28/

Image generated by DALL-E 3