Turn off Siri's notification announcements in Settings

Siri reads your notifications out loud when you're wearing AirPods, using CarPlay, or have your phone set to do so. You can stop this in one place: the Siri & Search settings on your iPhone or iPad. Open Settings, tap Siri & Search, scroll down to "Listen for 'Hey Siri'", and look for the option called "Announce Notifications." Toggle it off.

This single setting controls whether Siri announces any notifications at all, regardless of what app they come from or what device you're using. Once you turn it off, Siri will stop reading messages, emails, reminders, and calendar alerts aloud. Your notifications will still arrive normally — you'll just see them on your screen instead of hearing them.

Key Takeaways

  • Siri announces notifications when you're using AirPods, CarPlay, or have announcement enabled in Settings, and you can turn this off in one place.
  • The "Announce Notifications" toggle in Settings > Siri & Search controls all notification announcements across your device.
  • Turning off announcements does not delete your notifications or prevent them from arriving — they still show on your screen.
  • If you want announcements for some apps but not others, you can control this per app in the Notifications settings instead.

Control announcements by individual app

If you want Siri to announce some notifications but not others, you can be more selective. Go to Settings > Notifications, then tap the specific app you want to adjust. Scroll down and look for "Announce Notifications" or "Announce Messages" — the exact wording depends on the app. Toggle this off for any app where you don't want announcements.

This approach takes longer if you have many apps, but it lets you keep announcements for things that matter (like calendar reminders or work messages) while silencing others (like social media or games). You'll need to adjust each app separately, so start with the ones that announce most often.

Why Siri announces notifications in the first place

Siri reads notifications aloud when you're in situations where looking at your screen isn't practical — driving with CarPlay, exercising with AirPods, or using your phone hands-free. Apple designed this feature to let you stay informed without stopping what you're doing. The system assumes that if you're wearing AirPods or using CarPlay, you want to hear important messages.

The problem is that Siri doesn't know which notifications actually matter to you. A text from your boss and a notification that someone liked your social media post get the same treatment. That's why the per-app controls exist — they let you decide which notifications are worth interrupting you for.

Stop announcements only while driving

If you want to keep announcements in general but turn them off specifically while you're driving, use Do Not Disturb While Driving. Go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb While Driving, turn it on, and then tap "Customize." Scroll down to "Notifications" and choose "Allow None" or "Allow Calls From Favorites." This silences announcements without touching your other Siri settings.

Do Not Disturb While Driving activates automatically when your phone detects you're driving (through CarPlay or motion detection), so you don't have to remember to turn it on. When the drive ends, announcements resume. This is useful if you want notifications read to you at home or in the gym but not while you're behind the wheel.

Check if an app's own settings are overriding Siri

Some apps like Messages, WhatsApp, and Slack have their own announcement settings that work separately from Siri. If you've turned off Siri announcements but an app is still reading messages aloud, check the app itself. Open the app, go to its Settings or Preferences, and look for options like "Announce Messages" or "Read Aloud."

These app-level settings sometimes override the system-wide Siri setting, so turning off both places is the only way to may provide silence. The exact location varies by app — Messages keeps it in Settings > Notifications, while Slack puts it in the app's own preferences menu.

Restart your device if announcements won't stop

If you've turned off "Announce Notifications" but Siri is still reading messages aloud, restart your iPhone or iPad. Hold the power button until "Slide to Power Off" appears, slide it, wait 30 seconds, then hold the power button again until you see the Apple logo. This clears temporary glitches that sometimes prevent settings changes from taking effect.

After the restart, go back to Settings > Siri & Search and confirm that "Announce Notifications" is still toggled off. If it's on again, your device may have a deeper issue — try turning it off a second time and restarting once more. If announcements continue after that, contact Apple Support, as this suggests a software problem that needs professional help.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off announcements stop all my notifications?

No. Turning off announcements only stops Siri from reading them aloud. Your notifications will still arrive on your screen, in your lock screen, and in your notification center. You'll see them — you just won't hear them.

Can I turn off announcements for text messages but keep them for calendar reminders?

Yes. Go to Settings > Notifications, tap Messages, and toggle off "Announce Notifications." Then go back, tap Calendar, and leave "Announce Notifications" on. You can customize this per app.

Why does Siri announce notifications when I'm not wearing AirPods?

If "Announce Notifications" is on in Settings, Siri will read them through your phone's speaker whenever a notification arrives, even without AirPods. This is the default behavior. Turn off the setting to stop this.

Does Do Not Disturb stop announcements?

Regular Do Not Disturb silences notifications entirely, but Do Not Disturb While Driving is the one that specifically controls announcements while you're driving. Use that if you want to keep announcements at other times.

What if I want announcements only when I'm in the car?

Turn on "Announce Notifications" in Settings, then use Do Not Disturb While Driving to silence them everywhere else. When you're in the car, announcements will work. When you're not, they'll be quiet.