xPACIFICA/Getty Images
- You can opt out of Amazon Sidewalk at any time through both the Alexa and Ring apps.
- Amazon Sidewalk is a neighbor-created network that makes you share part of your internet bandwidth with nearby Amazon devices.
- Most Echo and Ring devices have Amazon Sidewalk turned on by default.
- Visit Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.
Amazon Sidewalk is a shared public mesh network developed to extend the connectivity and reliability of low-bandwidth smart devices, even if they're out of range or your Wi-Fi goes down.
To accomplish this wide-range shared network, Amazon takes a small portion of internet bandwidth from homes with Sidewalk-enabled devices, ultimately creating one, big public mesh network.
The service runs by turning devices, like Echo speakers and Ring cameras, into what the company calls Sidewalk Bridges. Think of them as network bridges that keep everything connected.
Here's a list of devices that double as Sidewalk Bridges:
| Device | Generation |
| Ring Floodlight Cam | 2019 |
| Ring Spotlight Cam Wired | 2019 |
| Ring Spotlight Cam Mount | 2019 |
| Echo | Third generation and newer |
| Echo Dot | Third generation and newer |
| Echo Dot for Kids | Third generation and newer |
| Echo Dot with Clock | Third generation and newer |
| Echo Plus | All generations |
| Echo Show | All models and generations |
| Echo Spot | All generations |
| Echo Input | All generations |
| Echo Flex | All generations |
In terms of data, Amazon says that the maximum bandwidth shared between neighbors is small. Amazon is capping the total monthly data used by Sidewalk to 500 megabytes, which is the same as streaming 10 minutes of HD video.
By sharing a sliver of your internet bandwidth with your neighbors, the idea is your devices can work over a much greater range. But it's also this aspect of Sidewalk – sharing your home's internet bandwidth with strangers – that concerns some users.
By default, compatible devices will automatically have Sidewalk enabled. But if you want to opt out of the service, you can turn it on or off quickly through the Alexa and Ring apps.
How to opt out of Amazon Sidewalk
In the Alexa app
1. On your phone, open the Alexa app and tap More.
Insider
2. Select Settings and then tap Account Settings.
Insider
3. Tap Amazon Sidewalk and tap Disable.
Insider
In the Ring app
1. On your phone, open the Ring app and tap the three lines in the upper left-hand corner of your screen.
2. Select Control Center and then tap Sidewalk.
3. Tap the Sidewalk slider button.
4. Confirm your decision in the screen that appears.