I'm really interested in using a voice-activated device, but I absolutely dislike Amazon and the way the Alexa keeps listening to me and serving ads. I want to find a way to take control of the device, reprogram it, and make it work for me, without any ties to Amazon. Has anyone tried this or have any ideas?
3 Answers
That sounds pretty fascinating! I'm curious to see how this could develop.
I haven't heard much about anyone successfully reprogramming an Echo, but you could consider building your own device instead. Check out ESPHome and Home Assistant for more control over your setup.
There are definitely privacy-focused home assistants that are better options out there. Honestly, hacking an existing Alexa might not be worth the hassle, since you'd need to dive into some serious modifications without much gain.
That sounds awesome! If the reprogramming doesn't pan out, I might just try that.