Smart device privacy checklist for the day a household member leaves

What to take away

Changing the Wi-Fi password is not enough when a resident leaves. Remove the person from every linked app and account.
Change the router admin password as well as the Wi-Fi password, and rotate shared codes and secrets.
Check recordings, downloaded clips and voice history before access changes.
Name a new recovery contact before you secure the account.
Mark an item not applicable only after confirming the device lacks that function.

Remove the person from roles and accounts

Review household roles, vendor accounts, app sessions, codes, integrations, downloaded clips and recovery routes. Each one can outlast the person's stay, and the Wi-Fi password controls only the network.

Roles match each person's need to view, control, change settings, invite, export or delete.
Former residents, installers and temporary helpers have no remaining access.
Each resident used an individual role instead of a shared owner password, so one removal does not lock everyone out.
Guest access has a clear scope and an end date.
Active sessions and signed-in devices have been reviewed.

Each platform keeps its own member list. In Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home, remove the person from the home or household members list inside the app. Camera makers such as Ring and Wyze keep a separate shared-user list in their own apps, so check there too.

Stale sessions keep working after the person has gone, so sign them out. Turn on strong authentication where it is offered, and protect the recovery email, phone and backup codes.

The recovery contact may be the person who is leaving. Name a new one first, so that securing the account does not lock out people who stay.

Change the credentials they knew

A device that stays in the home keeps its credentials, and so does the router. Replace anything the departing person knew, including shared codes and secrets.

The FTC's Wi-Fi guidance separates two passwords: a Wi-Fi network password that keeps strangers off the network, and a router admin password that opens the administrative side of the device. Change both when someone with access leaves.

The same guidance recommends WPA3 or WPA2, updates, a guest network and firewall use. It also advises turning off risky convenience features such as remote management, WPS and UPnP when they are not needed. Follow the router maker's current instructions before changing a setting.

Router administrator and Wi-Fi credentials are unique.
Connected-device lists contain no unexplained entries.
Remote administration is off unless a documented need exists.
Default credentials on each device have been replaced and the password is unique.
Shared codes and secrets are rotated after membership changes.

What the cameras and microphones kept

Recordings, clips and voice history can outlive a departure. Decide what is kept, what is exported and what is deleted before access changes, because deleting the account later may remove your own copy.

Camera and Microphone Checklist

Match camera placement to written purpose
Consider windows, mirrors, screens, private rooms
Limit pan, tilt, zoom, motion zones, night vision, audio
Test shutters, microphone switches, status lights, power
Notify residents and regular visitors
Check local law, lease, workplace, care requirements

The FTC's camera page says not to keep a camera's default username and password, or one reused from another account. It also advises limiting remote viewing and using separate permissions for multiple users when available.

Owner, member, guest, monitor and support access were tested.
Download, share-link, export and clip-creation rights were reviewed.
Voice audio, transcripts, commands, actions and assistant history were checked separately.
A harmless deletion test confirmed what disappearsdelete one test clip or voice command, then look in the app, the web account and any shared link.
Downloaded, shared, backed-up and third-party copies are tracked separately.
Retention is no longer than the stated purpose requires.

Voice history sits with the assistant provider, not the speaker. Amazon lists Alexa recordings in its Alexa privacy settings, and Google's My Activity page lists Assistant activity. Delete or export from there before the departing person's access ends.

Use a retention period tied to a legitimate purpose and any binding record duty. How long personal data should live in general is set out in the personal data lifecycle checklist.

Phones and apps that remain

The departing person's phone holds the app, but your own phone does too. Camera, microphone, location, contacts, photos, Bluetooth, local-network and notification permissions were all granted for setup, and some may no longer be needed.

Temporary setup permissions were removed when no longer needed.
Lock-screen notifications do not expose unnecessary household information.
The phone is updated, locked, encrypted and recoverable.

Review camera and microphone permissions on each phone, then audit mobile app permissions for background access.

Cloud accounts and subscriptions

Linked services often outlive the person's stay. Disconnect them one by one, and write down which ones you could not reach.

Linked assistants, skills, monitoring services, calendars, media, shopping and automation accounts are reviewed.
Subscriptions, renewal dates, retention effects and cancellation behavior are recorded.
The maker's account page for deleting data is found, and partner services holding copies are listed.
The update commitment and expected end of support are recorded when published.

Tell the household what changed

Household members should know which sensors and recordings exist and who can now see them. Say what was removed, which credentials changed and where the new ones are kept.

Then test the result with harmless activity. Ask a remaining member to view a camera, change a setting and invite a guest, and confirm each action works for the role that person now holds. Confirm too that the departed person's access fails everywhere, not only in the main app.

A change in household membership is also a reason to run the whole routine again. A transfer, a move, a new subscription or an account incident should each trigger a fresh pass.