How to Stop Siri Interrupting Unwantedly: A Comprehensive Guide

Siri Interrupting When Unwanted

Many users find it frustrating when Siri interrupts their conversations, meetings, or TV shows by activating itself without any provocation. The frequency of these random activations can vary, but it's often enough to be a nuisance. To make matters worse, Apple announced that starting from iOS 17, Siri won't just be activated by the command "Hey Siri" - it's going to activate every time it hears the word "Siri". This could potentially lead to even more unwanted interruptions. Furthermore, while Siri is available on all Apple devices, it's most likely to intrude unwantedly on the Apple Watch and the Mac.

Steps to Reduce Siri’s Random Activation on Different Devices

Steps to Stop Siri on the Apple Watch

On the Apple Watch, there are several methods to prevent Siri from activating on its own. You can turn off the 'Raise to Speak' function to prevent Siri from thinking you are speaking to it when raising your wrist. Additionally, you can turn off the 'Listen' feature to prevent Siri from listening for your voice. Lastly, disabling 'Press Digital Crown' will prevent Siri from activating when you touch the digital crown.

Steps to Stop Siri on the Mac

On the Mac, start by disabling the 'Keyboard shortcut' as this can often be accidentally triggered, activating Siri. Likewise, turning off 'Listen for' will prevent Siri from activating when it thinks it hears the phrase "Hey Siri". Also, consider deactivating 'Ask Siri' and removing 'Siri' from the Menu Bar to completely exclude Siri's presence.

Steps to stop Siri on the iPhone

To control Siri on your iPhone, navigate to Settings > Siri & Search and turn off 'Allow Siri When Locked'. This will prevent most accidental "Hey Siri" requests when your phone is sitting idly. Set 'Listen for' to 'Off' to disable the feature entirely. Lastly, turn off 'Press Side Button for Siri' to avoid activating Siri by accidentally pressing the power button.

Steps to stop Siri on the AirPods

On the AirPods, you can control Siri's activation by customizing the controls for each earbud. This way, a double-tap on the left or right AirPod won't accidentally activate Siri.

Steps to stop Siri on the Apple TV

On the Apple TV, you can easily disable Siri through the General settings in the device's menu.

Steps to stop Siri on the HomePod

Siri on the HomePod can be conveniently disabled via a voice command. Simply say, "Hey Siri, turn off Hey Siri" to stop Siri from listening for commands.

Recommendations

Function101 Button Remote for Apple TV without Siri

While all methods to disable Siri might help, sometimes the design of the remote itself is the main problem. For example, the Siri button on the new Apple TV remote is placed on its side — the exact spot where someone usually grabs the remote. In such scenarios, an alternative solution could be to replace the remote entirely. In the case of Apple TV, we recommend using the Function101 Button Remote. It offers a simpler and more straightforward interface and doesn't include Siri, reducing the chances of accidental activation drastically.

Restoring Siri

How to Turn On Siri on the HomePod Again

While the HomePod primarily functions via "Hey Siri" voice commands, users may choose to disable this feature for numerous reasons. It's important to note that disabling "Hey Siri" doesn’t mean it's permanently turned off. You can easily restore Siri on your HomePod. To reactivate Siri, press and hold the button at the top of the HomePod device and say, "Turn on Hey Siri". Siri will then once again be ready and waiting to assist you.