Like all of the other AI assistants out there, Siri can sometimes be an incredibly useful tool. It can be used to set alarms, timers, and reminders or issue voice commands to a phone or tablet without the user ever having to lay a hand on their device. Despite its ability to make life easier for iPhone owners, however, there are some people who would prefer to disable Siri entirely due to the way that it listens to and stores data on those who use it.
Though some iPhone owners may be satisfied by simply turning off the "Hey Siri" functionality on their devices or tweaking when exaclty it can be used, others may feel the need to disable Siri entirely. Thankfully, the process for doing so is fairly straightforward, with users given a surprising amount of flexibility when it comes to the permissions given to Apple's iconic AI assistant. This guide will explain how to turn Siri off on iPhones, as well as the process for re-enabling it in the event that users change their minds later on.
How to Turn off Siri on iPhones
In order to completely disable Siri, iPhone users will need to head into the Settings menu by finding and pressing the grey gears icon on their home screen. Once inside the menu, they should then scroll down and open the "Siri & Search" menu, which contains a number of different Siri-related options. To turn Siri off completely, users will need to disable both the "Listen for "Hey Siri"" and "Press Side Button for Siri" options and then press "Turn Off Siri" when prompted.
How to Turn off Dictation on iPhones
Those worried about their data being stored and collected by Apple may also wish to disable their phone's dictation functionality. This is because it uses the same data as Siri and so is also stored on Apple servers. To turn off dictation, iPhone owners will once again need to head into the Settings menu, but should this time look under the "General" tab and select the option marked "Keyboards." After the sub-menu opens up, they'll simply need to toggle the "Dictation" slider to off and then confirm their decision by pressing "Turn off Dictation."
How to Re-Enable Siri on iPhones
In the event that an iPhone owner changes their mind and wishes to turn Siri back on, they can do so with relative ease. They'll simply need to return to the "Siri & Search" menu and toggle either the "Listen for "Hey Siri"" or "Press Side Button for Siri" options back on using the sliders on the right. If they turn on the former, they'll have to re-complete the Hey Siri setup, which will require them to dictate five simple phrases. Users can also use this menu to decide how Siri interacts with other apps on their device or to change the AI assistant's voice options.