Voice Control is usually on by accident, and you can turn it off in your device settings in under a minute
Voice Control — the feature that listens for your voice and responds to commands — is built into most phones, tablets, and computers. On iPhones and iPads, it's called Siri. On Android phones, it's Google Assistant. On Windows computers, it's Cortana. On Mac computers, it's also Siri. If you didn't turn it on yourself, it may have activated during setup, or you may have triggered it by accident by holding down a button or saying a wake word.
The steps to turn it off depend on which device you have. In each case, you go to Settings, find the voice assistant, and toggle it off. You won't lose any data — you're just disabling the feature so it stops listening.
Key Takeaways
- On iPhones and iPads, open Settings, tap Siri & Search, and toggle off "Listen for 'Hey Siri'".
- On Android phones, open Google Assistant settings, go to General, and turn off Google Assistant.
- On Windows computers, open Settings, go to Privacy & Security, and disable Cortana.
- On Mac computers, open System Settings, go to Siri, and uncheck "Enable Ask Siri".
- Turning off voice control does not delete anything — it only stops the feature from listening for commands.
How to turn off Siri on iPhone or iPad
Open the Settings app. Scroll down and tap Siri & Search.
You will see several toggles. The one you want is "Listen for 'Hey Siri'" — tap it to turn it off. You can also toggle off "Press Side Button for Siri" if you don't want to activate Siri by holding the side button, and "Allow Siri When Locked" if you want to prevent Siri from responding when your phone is locked.
Once you toggle off "Listen for 'Hey Siri'", your phone will no longer respond to voice commands unless you manually press and hold the side button. If you turn off the side button option too, Siri will be completely disabled.
How to turn off Google Assistant on Android
Open the Google app or say "Hey Google" to open Google Assistant. Tap your profile picture in the top right corner, then tap Settings.
Tap General. You will see a toggle for Google Assistant — tap it to turn it off. On some Android phones, you may need to go to Settings > Apps > Google > Permissions and turn off the Microphone permission instead.
If you want to keep Google Assistant but stop it from responding to "Hey Google", open Google Assistant settings, tap Voice Match, and toggle off "Hey Google". This way the app will still work if you open it manually, but it won't listen for the wake word.
How to turn off Cortana on Windows
Click the Start button and open Settings. Go to Privacy & Security on the left side.
Scroll down and click Voice activation. Toggle off "Voice activation" to stop Cortana from listening for "Hey Cortana". You can also go back to Privacy & Security, click Microphone, and toggle off microphone access for Cortana if you want to be more thorough.
If you want to disable Cortana entirely rather than just voice activation, you can also uninstall it from the Microsoft Store, though this is not necessary if you simply turn off voice activation.
How to turn off Siri on Mac
Click the Apple menu in the top left and open System Settings. Click Siri & Spotlight on the left side.
Uncheck the box next to "Enable Ask Siri". You can also uncheck "Listen for 'Hey Siri'" if you want to keep the Siri button in the menu bar but prevent voice activation.
Once you uncheck "Enable Ask Siri", Siri will no longer respond to voice commands or the keyboard shortcut. The Siri icon will remain in your menu bar, but it will not be active.
Why voice control might be on without your knowledge
Voice assistants are turned on by default on most new devices. When you first set up a phone or computer, the setup wizard may ask if you want to use voice commands, and if you tap "Next" without reading carefully, you may have enabled it without realizing.
Voice control can also activate by accident if you hold down the side button on an iPhone, press and hold the Windows key on a Windows computer, or say the wake word ("Hey Siri" or "Hey Google") near your device. Some people also enable it intentionally and then forget they did.
If you are concerned about privacy, turning off voice activation means your device will not listen for the wake word. However, the microphone itself may still be used by other apps — for phone calls, video meetings, or voice recording — unless you also disable microphone permissions in your privacy settings.
What happens after you turn off voice control
Once you disable voice control, your device will no longer respond to voice commands or the wake word. You can still use your device normally — you just won't be able to talk to it.
If you change your mind later, you can turn voice control back on by going to the same settings and toggling it back on. Your device will not have forgotten any of your preferences or data.
If you have other devices linked to the same account — for example, multiple iPhones or a Mac and an iPad — turning off voice control on one device does not affect the others. You will need to turn it off on each device separately if you want to disable it everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off voice control delete my data?
No. Turning off voice control only disables the feature. All your photos, messages, apps, and settings remain on your device. If you turn voice control back on later, everything will be exactly as you left it.
Can I turn off the wake word but keep voice control?
Yes. On most devices, you can disable the wake word (like "Hey Siri" or "Hey Google") while keeping the feature available if you manually open the app or press a button. Look for options like "Listen for 'Hey Siri'" or "Voice Match" in the voice assistant settings.
Does turning off voice control improve battery life?
Slightly, but not noticeably on most devices. Modern voice assistants are designed to listen efficiently without draining the battery significantly. If battery life is your main concern, turning off the screen brightness or closing background apps will have a much bigger effect.
What if I don't see the voice control settings on my device?
Make sure you are in the right settings menu. On iPhones, it's under Siri & Search. On Android, it's in the Google app settings or the main Settings app under Apps. On Windows, it's under Privacy & Security. If you still can't find it, your device model may have a slightly different name for the feature.
Can I turn off voice control for just one app?
Not directly. Voice control is a system-wide feature, so turning it off disables it for all apps. However, you can disable microphone permissions for individual apps in your privacy settings, which will prevent those apps from using your microphone even if voice control is on.