Voice Control is the feature that listens for your voice and opens apps or performs actions when you speak to your phone
Voice Control on iPhone is a hands-free accessibility feature that responds to spoken commands. If you have it turned on, your phone may wake up and respond when you speak near it, or it might activate accidentally in your pocket. Turning it off is straightforward — you just need to go into Settings and disable it in the Accessibility menu.
This is different from Siri, which is Apple's voice assistant. Voice Control and Siri are separate features, and you can turn off one without affecting the other. If you want to keep Siri but stop Voice Control from listening, this guide shows you exactly how.
Key Takeaways
- Voice Control is found in Settings under Accessibility, not in Siri settings, so you need to know where to look.
- You can turn Voice Control completely off, or you can keep it but require a passcode before it responds to commands.
- Turning off Voice Control does not affect Siri or any other iPhone features.
- The steps are the same on all recent iPhone models running iOS 13 or later.
Steps to turn off Voice Control completely
Step 1: Open Settings. Tap the gray Settings icon on your home screen. It looks like a gear.
Step 2: Go to Accessibility. Scroll down and tap Accessibility. It is usually about halfway down the Settings menu.
Step 3: Find Voice Control. Under the Interaction section, tap Voice Control. You will see it listed with other accessibility features like Voice Over and Zoom.
Step 4: Turn it off. At the top of the Voice Control screen, you will see a toggle switch that is currently green (on). Tap it once to turn it gray (off). Voice Control is now disabled and will not respond to voice commands.
Require a passcode instead of turning it off completely
If you want to keep Voice Control available but prevent it from responding by accident, you can require a passcode before it works. This is useful if you live with other people or if your phone activates Voice Control in your pocket.
Step 1: Open Settings and go to Accessibility. Follow the same path as above: Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control.
Step 2: Tap Code Requirements. On the Voice Control screen, you will see an option called Code Requirements. Tap it.
Step 3: Choose Require Code. Select Require Code. Now your phone will ask for your passcode before it responds to any voice commands. You can also choose Require Code After 15 Minutes if you want Voice Control to work without a code for the first 15 minutes after you unlock your phone, then require the code after that.
What to do if Voice Control keeps turning back on
Sometimes Voice Control re-enables itself, especially if you have Siri Shortcuts set up or if you use voice commands through your car or headphones. If you turn it off and it comes back on, check whether a shortcut or another app is turning it back on.
The most common cause is an automation or shortcut that was created to enable Voice Control. Go to the Shortcuts app on your home screen, tap the Automation tab at the bottom, and look for any automations that mention Voice Control. Delete any you do not recognize or need.
If you use a car system like Apple CarPlay or wireless headphones that respond to voice, those systems may be re-enabling Voice Control. In that case, using the passcode requirement (from the section above) is often a better solution than turning Voice Control off completely.
The difference between Voice Control and Siri
Voice Control and Siri are two separate features, and many people confuse them. Siri is Apple's voice assistant — you hold down the home button or side button and ask it questions like "What is the weather?" or "Call my mom." Voice Control is an accessibility feature that listens for specific spoken commands and performs actions without you having to press a button first.
If you turn off Voice Control, Siri will still work. If you want to turn off Siri instead, go to Settings > Siri & Search and toggle off Listen for "Hey Siri." You can control each one independently.
Voice Control on older iPhone models
If you have an iPhone running iOS 12 or earlier, Voice Control works differently. On those older phones, Voice Control is called Voice Dialing, and it is turned on by holding down the home button. To turn it off, go to Settings > General > Siri and toggle off Press Home for Siri.
Most people with older iPhones do not notice Voice Control because it only activates when you hold down the home button. If you are experiencing accidental voice activation on an older phone, the issue is usually Siri, not Voice Control. Try disabling Siri using the steps above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off Voice Control affect Siri?
No. Voice Control and Siri are separate features. You can turn off Voice Control and keep Siri working, or turn off Siri and keep Voice Control working. Disabling one does not change the other.
Why does my iPhone respond to my voice when I am not trying to use Voice Control?
This is usually Siri, not Voice Control. If your phone wakes up when you say "Hey Siri," that is Siri responding. Go to Settings > Siri & Search and turn off Listen for "Hey Siri." If the problem happens without you saying anything, Voice Control may be enabled — use the steps above to turn it off or require a passcode.
Can I turn off Voice Control just for certain apps?
No. Voice Control is an all-or-nothing setting in Accessibility. You cannot disable it for one app and keep it on for another. Your options are to turn it off completely, require a passcode, or require a code after a certain amount of time.
What if I need Voice Control for accessibility reasons but want to prevent accidental activation?
Use the passcode requirement instead of turning Voice Control off. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control > Code Requirements and choose Require Code. This way Voice Control is still available when you need it, but it will not respond to accidental voice activation.