How to Turn Off Voice Control and Siri on iPhone and iPad
By Jessica RegheliniUpdated on March 10, 2022
Using a voice command system on your phone can often really come in handy, and make some tasks easier, however, some people may not like that their voice command system comes on unexpectedly, only making things more difficult. If you have an iOS device, you might have this problem with Siri or the classic Voice Control system.
If you’re tired of having these voice controls pop up on your iPhone or iPad, we can help you out. Here’s what we’ll be covering in this tutorial:
To start, we want to tell you about some of the reasons why we think it’s a good idea to turn off voice command features on your iPhone or iPad.
Reasons to turn off iOS Voice Control and Siri
- Save on mobile data – to use most features of Siri, you need to be connected to Wi-Fi, otherwise the system uses your cellular data. If you want to avoid going over your data limit, turning off Siri can help.
- Reduce battery usage – using these voice command features can sometimes kill your device’s battery quicker than usual. Turning off voice command features might help you be able to go longer without needing to charge your device.
- Avoid annoying interruptions – if you often find Voice Control or Siri coming on when you don’t want or need it to, disabling them can stop them from interrupting you when you’re trying to do something else with your device.
If you think turning off both voice command systems on your iOS device is the right choice for you, keep reading! Next, we’re going to show you how to disable Voice Control and how to turn off Siri all at the same time.
How to disable Siri and Voice Control on iOS
1. Open your iOS device’s Settings app.
On the home page of your iPhone or iPad, tap the Settings icon to start up the app.
2. From the main settings menu, select General.
Once you have the Settings app open, scroll down and tap General.
3. On the next page, tap Accessibility.
From the “General” settings category, select Accessibility.
4. Scroll down to the “Interaction” section, then select Home Button.
On the next page, you’ll need to scroll down a few sections to find the “Interaction” category. When you find it, tap Home Button. (Note: this doesn’t mean to tap the “Home” button on your device – tap where it says: “Home Button” on your screen.)
5. Under “Press and Hold to Speak,” tap Off to disable both Voice Control and Siri on your iPhone or iPad.
The final step is to simply tap the Off button to simultaneously disable Voice Control and Siri.
Now that we’ve shown you how to turn Voice Control off and disable Siri from turning on when you hold down your home button, we’re going to show you how to stop these voice command systems from turning on while your phone is locked, without having to fully disable the features. This is a great method if you still want to be able to use the voice controls, but avoid having them turn on unexpectedly.
How to avoid Voice Control or Siri turning on when your screen is locked
1. Start up the settings app on your iOS device.
Tap the Settings icon on your home screen to open your iOS settings.
2. Scroll down in your settings app and select Touch ID & Passcode.
In the third section of settings categories, tap Touch ID & Passcode.
3. Choose a pass code you would like to use to secure your device.
Now you’ll need to enter a 4-digit or 6-digit pass code that will protect your device from being used by others, and prevent voice commands from activating. Use the key pad on your screen to type in the code you want to use.
4. Under “Allow Access When Locked,” disable Siri.
Once you’ve entered your pass code, it’s time to turn off all the features you don’t want to use. The first one we’re going to turn off is Siri, so it can’t be accessed when your device is in lock mode. Tap the toggle button beside “Siri” to disallow access to the feature when your phone is locked.
5. Disable the Voice Dial feature.
Moving on to the next feature to turn off, tap the toggle button beside “Voice Dial” to prevent your iPhone from calling people unintentionally while the device is locked.
3. Disable Siri’s app suggestions.
The last thing you might want to disable are app suggestions from Siri. To do this, you’ll need to head over to the “Spotlight Search” section of your settings. Tap Settings in the top left to begin.
Then, select Siri & Search.
Scroll down to the “Siri Suggestions” section, and disable both Suggestions in Search and Suggestions in Look Up.
That’s all you need to do if you want to still turn on Siri or Voice Control, but not have it annoy you while your iOS device screen is locked. We’ve also got a few tips below to help avoid your voice command systems interrupting you while you’re listening to music or doing another task on your device.
Tips for avoiding interruptions from Voice Control and Siri
1. Make sure your headphones are inserted properly and do not have frayed cables.
Sometimes, headphones and earbuds with microphones built in can accidentally set off your voice command system even when you’ve disabled it from turning on when holding the Home button. Many people find this to be a huge problem when they’re trying to listen to music or podcasts, especially while working out – since your device may be moving around more than usual.
One solution to this issue is to make sure you’re using good quality headphones that don’t have damaged cables, and to make sure the cord is inserted fully into the headphone jack. You can also get around this issue by using Bluetooth wireless headphones.
2. Use headphones or earbuds without a microphone.
If you find that your device sometimes activates Siri or Voice Control when you have headphones plugged in, try using a pair of headphones or earbuds with no microphone built in. This should solve the issue for you!
3. Don’t use headphones at all.
If for some reason you still have issues with these voice command tools, even when using a new headset, we’d recommend simply not using headphones when listening to music or podcasts. You can use the device’s built-in speakers, or even get a Bluetooth speaker to play your music loud and proud! If you’re in the car, you can get around this by hooking up your device to play music through your car’s stereo.
That’s all it takes to disable Siri and turn off Voice Control on iPhone or iPad. Now that we’ve shown you how to turn these features off, you should be able to use your iOS device without any annoying interruptions. Want to learn more about iOS devices and what you can do with them? Check out our other iPhone and iPad tutorials.