What is Amazon Sidewalk?
Amazon Sidewalk is a shared network. It operates by using a small amount of bandwidth from your internet connection, it pools your bandwidth with others in your neighborhood to provide a shared network that can help to keep devices connected to the internet when they are out of range. Amazon Sidewalk is operated by Amazon for customers in the USA and is free to use.
Amazon wireless sharing works with devices such as echo smart speakers and ring home security devices.
What are the advantages of Sidewalk?
By creating a pooled internet network that runs on a group of people’s internet bandwidth Amazon can increase the range of the devices and make sure that any device that get disconnected can be reconnected quickly and automatically. It helps to increase the up-time of your devices, by allowing them to stay connected for longer.
How does Sidewalk work?
Devices that connect to the internet such as Echo and Ring act as bridges that use a small amount of your bandwidth to link with other devices to create the shared network. This shared network can benefit all users with connected devices.
How Can I opt-out of Sidewalk?
It is possible to opt-out of the Amazon Sidewalk program by turning it off. All users will automatically be enrolled until you change your settings. To opt-out you will need to enter the settings of your device, echo or ring and change the preferences.
Disable Instructions for Sidewalk on Echo devices.
- Open your Alex App.
- Open Settings.
- Change your Sidewalk preferences or turn it off.
Disable Instructions for Sidewalk on Ring devices.
- Navigate to the control center in the Ring App or website.
- Update Sidewalk preferences to disable or opt-out.
For echo you will need to change your preferences from the Alexa app. Ring devices can be disabled through the control center in the ring app or ring website. If you have linked your Ring and Amazon accounts changing your settings on one will update your preferences on both.
Do I have one week to opt-out of Amazon Sidewalk?
Amazon Sidewalk starts on 8th June. If you wish to op-out before that date you need to do so quickly, you may still turn off Sidewalk after that date by following the instructions above.
Can I use Amazon Sidewalk internationally?
No, Amazon Sidewalk is only available in the USA, and not in other countries at the time of writing.
