In the future, Sidewalk will also, “support a range of experiences from using Sidewalk-enabled devices, such as smart security and lighting and diagnostics for appliances and tools.”
There are no fees for joining Sidewalk, but customers will by default contribute a portion of their internet bandwidth. Lydia Leong, an analyst at Gartner, warned that this feature could break the terms and conditions of users’ internet connections, which may not allow resharing.
The devices that will be connected to the Sidewalk are the following: Ring Floodlight Cam (2019), Ring Spotlight Cam Wired (2019), Ring Spotlight Cam Mount (2019), Echo (3rd gen and newer), Echo Dot (3rd gen and newer), Echo Dot for Kids (3rd gen and newer), Echo Dot with Clock (3rd gen and newer), Echo Plus (all generations), Echo Show (all models and generations), Echo Spot, Echo Studio, Echo Input, Echo Flex.
In the Ring app, tap the three-lined icon in the upper left-hand corner of the screen to go to the Control Center. Here, there will be a Sidewalk option with a slide button to opt out.
Ring and Echo users have until June 8 to disable Sidewalk, but if they do not, the network will be turned on and their devices will automatically become Sidewalk Bridges.
