Exploring everyday sharing practices of smart speakers

Smart devices like mobile phones, tablets, and smart watches are designed under the assumption that they will be used by a single user. In contrast, many other devices such as smart thermostats and smart speakers are inherently sharable. This paper presents preliminary results (based on a data set of 15 participants) from an ongoing multi-methods study (using diary study and semi-structured interviews) that aims to gain a nuanced understanding of motivators and constraints of sharing such smart devices, which are cumulatively referred to as Internet of Things. Specifically, this paper illuminates the purposes and practices of sharing smart speakers and discusses two influential factors that shape these practices. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings and provide guidelines for the design of future smart conversational speakers.