Siri can start listening when you say “Siri” or “Hey Siri,” when you hold the side button, or when you raise your iPhone. If it keeps activating by accident, or you’d rather not use a voice assistant, you can turn off each trigger separately or disable Siri completely. This guide covers current iOS versions and older ones (including the iPhone 7 on iOS 15), plus how to stop Siri suggestions and delete your Siri history.
Quick Answer
Open Settings > Siri (called Apple Intelligence & Siri on iPhones that support Apple Intelligence). Set Talk to Siri to Off and turn off Press Side Button for Siri (or Press Home for Siri on iPhones with a Home button). With both off, Siri is disabled.
Turn Off Siri on iOS 18 and Later
- Open Settings.
- Tap Siri or Apple Intelligence & Siri.
- Tap Talk to Siri and choose Off.
- Turn off Press Side Button for Siri (or Press Home for Siri).
- If asked, tap Turn Off Siri to confirm.
You can also turn off Type to Siri if it’s on. On iPhones with Apple Intelligence, turning off Siri doesn’t turn off other Apple Intelligence features; use the Apple Intelligence toggle on the same screen for that.
Turn Off Siri on iOS 17 and Earlier
- Open Settings > Siri & Search.
- Turn off Listen for “Hey Siri” (or on iOS 17, set Listen for to Off).
- Turn off Press Side Button for Siri or Press Home for Siri.
- Tap Turn Off Siri to confirm.
Turn Off Only Part of Siri
- Stop accidental voice activation: set Talk to Siri to Off but keep the button option on.
- Block Siri on the Lock Screen: turn off Allow Siri When Locked, or go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode) and turn off Siri under Allow Access When Locked.
- Stop listening when the iPhone is face down or covered: go to Settings > Accessibility > Siri and make sure Always Listen for “Siri” is off.
- Stop Siri announcing calls or notifications: turn off Announce Calls and Announce Notifications in Siri settings.
- Hide Siri Suggestions: scroll down in Siri settings and turn off Show Suggestions, Suggestions in Search and similar options, or turn them off per app.
Delete Your Siri History
- Go to Settings > Siri (or Apple Intelligence & Siri).
- Tap Siri & Dictation History.
- Tap Delete Siri & Dictation History.
To stop sharing recordings with Apple, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements and turn off Improve Siri & Dictation.
Turn Off Siri on Other Devices
- AirPods: Siri follows your iPhone’s settings. Turning off Talk to Siri stops “Siri” on AirPods, too.
- Apple Watch: Settings > Siri on the watch, then turn off Listen for, Raise to Speak and Press Digital Crown.
- Mac: System Settings > Siri (or Apple Intelligence & Siri) and switch Siri off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off Siri affect dictation?
No. Keyboard dictation is separate; turn it off in Settings > General > Keyboard > Enable Dictation if you want.
Does turning off Siri save battery?
Slightly. Listening for the wake phrase uses very little power, but turning it off also stops accidental activations.
How do I turn Siri back on?
Go back to the same settings and turn on Talk to Siri or the side button option. You may need to set up the voice again.
Summary
- Settings > Siri (or Apple Intelligence & Siri).
- Set Talk to Siri to Off.
- Turn off Press Side Button (or Home) for Siri.
- Delete Siri history if you want.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.