Like all of theother AI assistantsout 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 foriPhoneowners, 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.
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Though someiPhoneowners 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 explainhow 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 disableSiri, iPhone users will need tohead into the Settings menuby finding and pressing the grey gears icon on their home screen. Once inside the menu, they should then scroll down andopen the “Siri & Search” menu, which contains a number of different Siri-related options. To turn Siri off completely, users will need todisable both the “Listen for “Hey Siri”” and “Press Side Button for Siri” optionsand thenpress “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 tohead into the Settings menu, but should this timelook under the “General” tabandselect the option marked “Keyboards.“After the sub-menu opens up, they’ll simply need totoggle the “Dictation” slider to offand thenconfirm 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 toreturn to the “Siri & Search” menuandtoggle either the “Listen for “Hey Siri”” or “Press Side Button for Siri” options back onusing 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.
