How To Get Siri To Say Something

Ask Siri on iPhone

Talking to Siri is a quick way to get things done. Ask Siri to translate a phrase, set an alarm, find a location, report on the weather, and more. See Find out what Siri can do on iPhone.

On supported devices, voice input is processed on iPhone, but transcripts of your requests are sent to Apple in order to improve Siri. This data is not associated with your Apple ID and will only be stored for a limited time. You can also choose to share your voice recordings with Apple for improvement purposes. To learn more, see the Improve Siri and Dictation & Privacy website.

For some requests, iPhone must be connected to the internet. Cellular charges may apply.

Siri on the Lock Screen. A notification from the Clock app shows that an alarm is turned on for 8:00 a.m. A button at the bottom center of the screen is used to continue speaking to Siri.

Set up Siri

If you didn't set up Siri when you first set up your iPhone, go to Settings > Siri & Search, then do any of the following:

If you want to activate Siri with your voice: Turn on Listen for "Hey Siri."
If you want to activate Siri with a button: Turn on Press Side Button for Siri (on an iPhone with Face ID) or Press Home for Siri (on an iPhone with a Home button).

To change additional Siri settings, see Change Siri settings on iPhone.

Activate Siri with your voice

When you activate Siri with your voice, Siri responds out loud.

Say "Hey Siri," then ask Siri a question or to do a task for you.

For example, say something like "Hey Siri, what's the weather for today?" or "Hey Siri, set an alarm for 8 a.m."
To ask Siri another question or to do another task, say "Hey Siri" again or tap .

Note: To prevent iPhone from responding to "Hey Siri," place your iPhone face down, or go to Settings > Siri & Search, then turn off Listen for "Hey Siri."

You can also say "Hey Siri" to activate Siri while wearing supported AirPods. See Set up Siri in the AirPods User Guide.

Activate Siri with a button

When you activate Siri with a button, Siri responds silently when iPhone is in silent mode. When silent mode is off, Siri responds out loud. To change this, see Change how Siri responds.

Do one of the following:
- On an iPhone with Face ID: Press and hold the side button.
- On an iPhone with a Home button: Press and hold the Home button.
- EarPods: Press and hold the center or call button.
- CarPlay: Press and hold the voice command button on the steering wheel, or touch and hold the Home button on the CarPlay Home Screen. (See Use Siri to Control CarPlay.)
- Siri Eyes Free: Press and hold the voice command button on your steering wheel.
When Siri appears, ask Siri a question or to do a task for you.

For example, say something like "What's 18 percent of 225?" or "Set the timer for 3 minutes."
To ask Siri another question or to do another task, tap .

You can also activate Siri with a touch on supported AirPods. See Set up Siri in the AirPods User Guide.

Make a correction if Siri misunderstands you

Rephrase your request: Tap , then say your request in a different way.
Spell out part of your request: Tap , then repeat your request by spelling out any words that Siri didn't understand. For example, say "Call," then spell the person's name.
Change a message before sending it: Say "Change it."
Edit your request with text: If you see your request onscreen, you can edit it. Tap the request, then use the onscreen keyboard.

Type instead of speaking to Siri

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Siri, then turn on Type to Siri.
To make a request, activate Siri, then use the keyboard and text field to ask Siri a question or to do a task for you.

If Siri doesn't work as expected on your iPhone, see the Apple Support article If "Hey Siri" isn't working on your iPhone or iPad.

Siri is designed to protect your information, and you can choose what you share. To learn more, see the Ask Siri, Dictation & Privacy website.

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