Physically securing Echo or Google Home devices is a good idea for areas where you need to worry about the device being taken. Think places like a mall kiosk or perhaps an office. It’s especially important in areas that aren’t secured at night and you need to worry about someone walking away undetected with your personal device.
We’re going to borrow from our experience with other devices in terms of making it difficult to remove. Physically securing Echo or Google Home devices makes it more difficult to remove, not impossible. A determined thief will always find a way to take your stuff, especially if you aren’t present.
Minimal effort is needed to take either of these devices. Each have a micro USB power source and are very lightweight. To make matters worse, they can be stuffed into a jacket pocket. This makes it easy to steal and walk away undetected.
A very obvious piece of device is not to leave these out. At night, lock it in a drawer or take it with you. But in some cases, that might not be possible, so let’s examine some ways for physically securing Echo or Google Home devices.
Basic Methods for Physically Securing Echo or Google Home Devices
Let’s first talk about methods for physically securing Echo or Google Home devices using stuff typically found around the house. These methods will make it a little more difficult, but definitely not impossible.
Use some good strong hook and loop adhesive to keep your device in place. The point is so that someone cannot easily stick the device into their pocket. Use the thickest hook and loop fastener you have. The thicker it is, the more force required to remove the device. This method is most useful for days when someone is present and it takes a more brazen thief to swipe the device. Place the hook portion on the flat surface where the device normally is placed and the loop portion on the bottom of the device.
Adding Mounts and Locks
There are a number of mounts on the market that can be used for physically securing Echo or Google Home devices. Check our article called How to Mount an Echo Dot around the Home or Office and How to Mount a Google Home Mini around the Home or Office. Both articles include mounts that can be used to physically secure the devices. Pay special attention to the mounts used for flush mounting. These mounts require a lot more time to physically remove an Echo or Google Home. Most importantly, these mounts place the device in locations one wouldn’t expect to find them. Unusual locations in themselves are excellent deterrents.
A more radical plan is to use laptop locks. The challenge with any Echo or Google Home device is the lack of anyplace to attach a lock so we’re going to need to get creative. A laptop lock has an adhesive part that attaches to the device and then loops around a table or chair leg. There’s a locking component to ensure it’s difficult to remove.