Find Siri’s iOS 26 settings for voice activation, typed requests, captions, announcements, privacy and accessibility, with version-dependent controls explained.
Quick answer: Siri settings live in Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri on supported iPhones running iOS 26, and simply Settings > Siri on other iPhones running iOS 26. In iOS 26, the older Settings > Siri & Search path has changed — search settings were split into their own top-level Settings entry. Two of the most useful controls are not in the Siri menu at all, and this guide covers where they actually are.
Updated September 4, 2026: corrected version-dependent menu guidance, notification controls and accessibility descriptions. Menu paths below follow Apple’s iOS 26 Siri settings guide. Labels and available controls depend on the device and software version.
Apple's own documentation writes this path conditionally — "tap Siri (or Apple Intelligence & Siri)" — because the menu is named differently depending on your hardware.
- Apple Intelligence iPhone: Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri
- Any other iPhone: Settings > Siri
On older software, Siri & Search may still be the correct name. In iOS 26, review search controls separately under Settings > Search.
Activation: How Siri Starts Listening
The submenu is called Talk to Siri, or Talk & Type to Siri when Apple Intelligence is switched on. Three options:
- "Siri" or "Hey Siri" — responds to both wake words.
- "Hey Siri" — the longer phrase only.
- Off — no voice activation; button methods still work.
The shorter "Siri" wake word is not available everywhere. Apple notes it depends on your device, language and region, so if you only see "Hey Siri" that is expected behaviour rather than a fault.
Separately there is a Press Side Button for Siri toggle. Turning voice activation off entirely while keeping the button is an option if false triggers annoy you — you keep Siri with voice activation disabled.
Other ways to start Siri
- Press and hold the side button (Face ID iPhones) or the Home button on older models.
- Press and hold the centre button on wired EarPods.
- In a car: the steering wheel voice button, or press and hold the CarPlay Home button.
Retraining Siri to your voice
There is no "retrain" button. The supported method is to set Talk to Siri to Off, then switch it back on and follow the setup prompts. Worth doing if recognition has degraded or someone else's voice is triggering your phone.
Type to Siri
Where this lives depends on Apple Intelligence, which trips people up.
With Apple Intelligence enabled, double-tap the bottom of the screen to type a request. If that gesture does not work, review the available controls under Talk & Type to Siri. Apple’s Siri and Apple Intelligence guide explains the supported interaction.
Without Apple Intelligence, it is a toggle at Settings > Accessibility > Siri > Type to Siri. Apple explicitly notes that this option may not appear if Apple Intelligence is turned on. So if you cannot find the toggle, that is why.
Responses and Captions
Under Siri Responses you control how much Siri speaks and how much it shows.
- Spoken Responses — how much Siri reads aloud versus handling silently.
- Always Show Siri Captions — displays Siri's reply on screen as text.
- Always Show Request — displays what Siri heard you say.
Turn on Always Show Request if Siri regularly misunderstands you. Seeing the transcription can help distinguish a misheard word from a request Siri cannot carry out. Note the label is "Always Show Request" — older guides call this "Always Show Speech", which may reflect an earlier iOS version.
Announce Calls and Announce Notifications
Announce Calls controls when Siri identifies an incoming caller. Announce Notifications controls spoken notifications, with supported apps and announcement options configured separately. Do not expect a per-app notification setting to govern phone calls. Check the available headphone, speaker and CarPlay options on your device.
Reply Without Confirmation is the setting worth understanding. On, a dictated reply sends immediately with no confirmation step — useful when you want fewer prompts, but review it carefully if recognition errors could send the wrong message. On supported AirPods you can also nod or shake your head to accept or decline.
Voice and Language
Voice lets you pick a different variety or voice, though Apple states plainly this is "not available for all languages". Language changes what Siri listens for and responds in.
The important caveat: Apple Intelligence requires your device language and Siri language to match a supported language. Change Siri to something outside that list and classic Siri keeps working while the Apple Intelligence layer disappears. Our guide to Siri language availability covers which languages are on which list.
Calls, Messages and the Lock Screen
- Call Hang Up — lets you end a call by saying so. Requires a speech model download and works on iPhone 11 or SE (2nd generation) and later, in selected languages.
- Automatically Send Messages — skips the confirmation step when dictating a message.
- Allow Siri When Locked — the one to review for privacy. Off means Siri will not answer from a locked device.
Per-App Settings
Under Apps in the Siri menu you can control each app individually, with toggles including Show in App, Show on Home Screen, Suggest App and Suggestion Notifications. The same four names appear as global suggestion toggles higher up the menu.
Per-app labels can vary by software version. Use the settings actually shown on your device; absence from one documentation page does not establish that a control has been removed. Search-result controls are also available under Settings > Search.
Siri in CarPlay
CarPlay does not add a separate Siri settings panel — it inherits your iPhone's configuration. What changes is how you invoke it: the steering wheel voice button, or press and hold the CarPlay Dashboard or Home button. In supported vehicles the wake word works too.
The setting that matters most for cars is Allow Siri When Locked, since a locked phone in a pocket is exactly the situation where you want Siri to still respond. Review it alongside Announce Notifications, which is far more useful in a car than anywhere else.
When a label differs
Search Settings for the control name and check Apple’s guide for your installed iOS version. Do not use a HomePod setting name as a substitute for an iPhone control.
These controls are outside the main Siri menu.
Improve Siri & Dictation — whether Apple can store and review audio of your interactions — is at Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements > Improve Siri & Dictation. Not in the Siri menu. Apple’s Improve Siri & Dictation explanation describes the optional audio-review program and its privacy controls.
The accessibility controls are also separate, at Settings > Accessibility > Siri, as explained in Apple’s Siri accessibility guide:
- Siri Pause Time (Default, Longer, Longest) — how long Siri waits before deciding you have finished speaking. If Siri keeps cutting you off mid-request, a longer pause may help.
- Speaking Rate — how fast Siri talks.
- Require "Siri" for Interruptions — requires you to say the wake phrase when interrupting Siri.
- Listen for Atypical Speech — improves recognition for atypical speech patterns; English (United States) primary language only.
- Announce Notifications on Speaker.
Bottom Line
Start at Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri, but remember two of the most useful controls live elsewhere: privacy under Analytics & Improvements, and Siri Pause Time under Accessibility. If Siri frequently misunderstands you, turn on Always Show Request and lengthen the pause time before changing anything else — they can help identify misheard requests and give you more time to speak.
More from iPhoneExtra: Siri 2.0 Tips and Hidden Features | What Can Siri 2.0 Actually Do? | Every Language Siri Supports.
