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Can your Amazon device share your Wi-Fi with your neighbors?

Answer: Not yet, but it will be able to next week.

Closeup of a white Echo Dot.
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Amazon is quietly rolling out a new feature that will allow your connected Amazon devices to freely share your Wi-Fi connection with other devices nearby, even if they’re not part of your household. Called Amazon Sidewalk, the feature is designed to let you keep using the Internet if your network connection goes down by tapping into that of your neighbors, or vice versa.

It's set up to automatically opt all users in when the feature launches June 8. The update applies to most of Amazon’s device lines. A complete list of the devices it will work on is available here. To allay privacy concerns, Amazon has published a white paper detailing Sidewalk’s data-sharing policies and procedures.

Fortunately, there’s an easy way to opt out of Sidewalk if this isn't something you’re excited about. Simply open your Alexa app, tap “More” in the bottom right-hand corner, then go to Settings > Account Settings > Amazon Sidewalk, and there will be a toggle button where you can disable the feature.