The One Alexa Setting Every Montana Parent Should Change Before Christmas

Last year, my husband and I learned the hard way that even technology can ruin a Christmas surprise. We’d been so excited to give our son a big backyard swing set, a dream gift for a kid who loves to play outside. The box arrived right on time, and we were patting ourselves on the back for being so prepared. Then, as if on cue, Alexa chimed in: “A swing set has been delivered.” My husband and I just froze. Our son’s eyes lit up, and just like that, the magic moment we’d been planning was gone.

When Alexa Turns Holiday Deliveries Into Spoilers

Now that Christmas is knocking, Montana porches are filling up with boxes from online orders. The rush of deliveries is part of the holiday hustle but if you’ve got an Amazon Echo sitting on the counter, it might also be part of the problem. Alexa has a habit of announcing what’s in those boxes and if you’ve got kids listening, you could end up spoiling your own surprise like we did.

How to Stop Alexa from Spilling Your Christmas Secrets

After last year’s fiasco, I dug around to find out how to make sure Alexa never gives away another Christmas secret. Turns out, it’s pretty simple once you know where to look.

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Start by opening the Alexa app on your phone. Tap More in the bottom right corner, then head to Settings. From there, tap Notifications, then Amazon Shopping. You’ll see a section called Say or Show Item Titles and right under it, a toggle labeled For items in delivery updates. Turn that off. That’s it! No more spoiled surprises.

Go One Step Further to Keep Gifts Under Wraps

If you really want to be safe, scroll a little further down and turn off Delivery Notifications too. That’ll stop Alexa from announcing when packages arrive at all. You’ll still be able to track everything through your app, but your Echo won’t flash yellow or shout across the room that “a new delivery has arrived.”

A Quick Test Before the Next Box Arrives

To double check your settings, say, “Alexa, where’s my stuff?” If she only tells you when your order will arrive without naming what it is, you’ve done it right.

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A Simple Fix to Save the Christmas Surprise

It’s such a small change, but it makes a big difference. There’s nothing better than seeing your kid’s face light up when they open the gift they never saw coming. So before your next round of deliveries shows up in the Montana snow, take two minutes to tweak those settings. You’ll keep the magic and the surprise right where it belongs. And if your kids are expert snoops who can sniff out a hidden gift from a mile away… well, that’s a whole other challenge. Good luck, fellow parents!