Turn off notification announcements in Settings

Siri reads notifications aloud when you have Announce Notifications turned on. You can disable this in your device settings in about 30 seconds. The exact path depends on whether you use an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, but the principle is the same: find the Siri settings, then toggle off the announcement feature.

On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings, tap Siri & Search, then scroll down and tap Announce Notifications. Toggle the switch off. If you want Siri to announce notifications only in certain situations — like when you're using headphones or in the car — you can choose "Headphones Only" or "CarPlay Only" instead of turning it completely off.

On a Mac, open System Settings, click Siri & Spotlight in the sidebar, then uncheck "Announce notifications". The Mac version is simpler because it doesn't offer the partial options that iPhone does.

Key Takeaways

  • Announce Notifications is a Siri feature that reads incoming messages and alerts aloud, and it's controlled in Settings on iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
  • On iPhone and iPad, you can choose to announce notifications only when using headphones or CarPlay, rather than turning the feature off entirely.
  • The setting applies to all notifications system-wide — you cannot turn off announcement for one app while keeping it on for another.
  • If Siri is not reading notifications even though the setting appears on, check that you have not silenced your device or enabled Do Not Disturb.

Why Siri reads notifications in the first place

Apple designed Announce Notifications as a hands-free feature for situations where you cannot look at your screen — while driving, cooking, or exercising. When the feature is on, Siri reads the sender's name and the message content aloud as soon as the notification arrives. This happens whether you asked for it or not, which is why many people find it intrusive.

The feature is off by default on most devices, which means you or someone else turned it on at some point. It's easy to enable accidentally if you're exploring Siri settings or if someone set it up on a shared device.

What happens if you only want to silence certain apps

Announce Notifications works at the system level, so you cannot pick and choose which apps Siri announces. If you turn the feature on, Siri will read notifications from Messages, Mail, Calendar, third-party apps — everything. If you turn it off, none of them will be announced.

If you want to hear announcements from only one or two apps, your only option is to turn off Announce Notifications entirely, then use each app's own notification settings to control how much noise it makes. For example, you could turn off Announce Notifications globally, but set Messages to play a sound and show a banner so you notice important texts without Siri reading them aloud.

Check Do Not Disturb and Silent mode if Siri still reads notifications

If you've turned off Announce Notifications but Siri is still reading notifications aloud, check whether Do Not Disturb is active. Do Not Disturb silences all sounds and vibrations, which should prevent Siri from speaking. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPhone or iPad to open Control Center and look for the Do Not Disturb icon (a moon symbol). If it's on, tap it to turn it off.

Also check that your device is not in Silent mode. On iPhone, look at the physical mute switch on the left side of the device — if it's flipped toward the back, your device is silent. Flip it toward the front to unmute. On iPad, there is no physical mute switch; Silent mode is controlled through Settings or Control Center.

Announce Notifications on HomePod and other speakers

If you have a HomePod or HomePod mini, Siri can announce notifications through the speaker even if your iPhone has the feature turned off. HomePod has its own Announce Notifications setting in the Home app. Open Home, tap the device icon for your HomePod, scroll down to Siri, and toggle off Announce Notifications.

This is separate from your iPhone setting, so you need to turn it off in both places if you want to stop hearing announcements everywhere. The same applies if you use Siri on an Apple Watch — the watch has its own notification settings that work independently of your phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off Announce Notifications stop all notification sounds?

No. Turning off Announce Notifications only stops Siri from reading the content aloud. Your device will still make sounds and show visual notifications based on each app's settings. If you want to silence all notifications, use Do Not Disturb or Silent mode instead.

Can I make Siri announce only messages from certain people?

No. Announce Notifications is all-or-nothing at the system level. You cannot filter by contact or app. If you want to hear announcements only from important people, turn off the feature and instead set those contacts to use a distinctive ringtone or notification sound in their contact card.

Why does Siri announce notifications when my device is locked?

That's how the feature is designed — it announces notifications whether your screen is on or off, so you can hear them without looking at your device. If you don't want announcements when your phone is locked, turn off Announce Notifications entirely.

Does Announce Notifications work with third-party messaging apps?

Yes. Siri announces notifications from any app that sends them — Messages, WhatsApp, Slack, Gmail, and others. The feature does not distinguish between Apple apps and third-party apps. If you turn on Announce Notifications, Siri will read from all of them.