Tip: This is how you use Siri without sound in 3 steps

Siri on the Apple Watch is not as chattering as the virtual assistant on iOS. However, since iOS 9, you can set Siri to answer silently on your iPhone as well.

This is how you silence Siri

It’s nice when Siri speaks back in a real voice when you give a voice command. That provides some extra ‘human’ interaction. But have you ever wanted to talk to Siri without the assistant making a noise? That is possible, but you have to adjust the settings for it.

It is possible to turn off Siri’s voice if you turn your iPhone on silent. You do this with the following three steps:

1. Open the Settings app of the iOS device, keep in mind that it only works with iOS 9 or newer;
2. Within Settings, tap on ‘General> Siri> Spoken Feedback’;
3. You will now find three choices, tap ‘Control with ring signal switch’.

Various options

The description of “Ringer Switch Control” on iOS reads as follows: “Siri Does not provide voice feedback if you set the ringer switch to silent. Siri will continue to chime or give voice feedback if you’re using “Hey Siri” or if a Bluetooth device, headphones, or CarPlay is connected.

You have now set Siri to speak only when your iPhone is not on silent. You can test whether it works by sliding the slider on the left side of the phone. You can still turn on Siri by pressing and holding the home button, but saying something will only return text. Just like on the Apple Watch.

In Siri’s ‘Spoken Feedback’ menu, however, you also have the option to keep Siri silent even when you have the sound on. To do this, choose the bottom option ‘Only handsfree’. Apple’s assistant only makes sound if a Bluetooth device, headphones or CarPlay is connected.

Read more about Siri

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• ‘Spotify as default Siri music service can be set from iOS 14.5’ – Update (5-3)
• Apple trains Siri to better understand people with speech impediments (26-2)
• Using the intercom: This is how you talk to roommates via Apple devices (4-11-2020)