iPhone (iOS) · Apps
Configure Siri and Search on iPhone
Siri & Search settings control how you activate Siri (voice, button press, or typing), what each app can contribute to Spotlight search and Siri Suggestions, and how much Siri learns from your usage patterns.
How to open Siri & Search
- Open Settings → Apps → Siri & Search (or Settings → Siri & Search on older iOS versions).
- Adjust 'Listen for Hey Siri', 'Press Side Button for Siri', and 'Allow Siri When Locked'.
- Scroll to the app list and toggle Search, Suggestions, and Notifications on Lock Screen per app.
- Retrain 'Hey Siri' recognition from this screen if voice detection feels unreliable.
What you should know
- Siri can be activated with 'Hey Siri', by pressing the side or Home button, or by typing requests instead of speaking.
- Each installed app has its own switch for whether it can appear in Search, Suggestions, and the Look Up feature.
- Siri Suggestions use on-device learning to predict what you might need next, like confirming an appointment or suggesting an app at a familiar time or place.
- Siri can be prevented from responding when the iPhone is locked, requiring the device to be unlocked first for sensitive requests.
Allowing Siri access when locked means some requests, like sending a message or reading notifications, could be triggered by anyone holding the device without unlocking it first.
Why it matters
Siri & Search quietly shapes two very different things at once — how quickly you can get answers or perform tasks hands-free, and how much of your personal data (locations, messages, app content) gets indexed for search and suggestions across the system. Turning off Search and Suggestions for a sensitive app (like a journal or banking app) keeps its content out of Spotlight and the Suggestions widget, which is a meaningful privacy boundary many people never realize is adjustable per app. Because Siri can be configured to respond even when the device is locked, this settings screen is also directly tied to what a person holding your locked iPhone could still access.
Best practices
- Turn off Search and Siri Suggestions for sensitive apps (like journaling, health, or finance apps) so their content doesn't surface in Spotlight or the Suggestions widget.
- Disable 'Allow Siri When Locked' if you're concerned about someone accessing messages, notes, or other content without unlocking the device first.
- Retrain 'Hey Siri' if voice activation has become unreliable, since your voice and the environment you use it in can change over time.
- Leave Suggestions on for frequently used apps you're comfortable with, since it genuinely speeds up common daily actions like opening a ride-share app at a familiar time.
Common problems and fixes
- 'Hey Siri' stops responding reliably
- Go to Settings → Siri & Search → 'Listen for Hey Siri' and retrain the voice model, especially after a significant change in your voice or usual environment noise.
- An app's content shows up in Spotlight search when you'd rather it didn't
- Turn off 'Show in Search' for that specific app under Settings → Apps → Siri & Search, or its General settings page depending on iOS version.
- Siri responds to requests without the phone being unlocked first
- Turn off 'Allow Siri When Locked' if this is a concern, which then requires unlocking before Siri will act on most requests.
- Siri Suggestions widget shows irrelevant or unwanted app suggestions
- Turn off 'Show Suggestions' for the specific apps generating those suggestions rather than disabling the whole Suggestions feature.
Tips and tricks
- Use 'Type to Siri' in a quiet environment like a library or meeting where speaking a voice command out loud isn't practical.
- Check each app's individual entry under Siri & Search after installing something new, since defaults for Search and Suggestions vary by app.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Siri and Search settings for an app?
Search controls whether an app's content appears in Spotlight results, while Siri Suggestions controls whether that app can proactively suggest actions or content based on your usage patterns — they can be toggled independently.
Does turning off Siri Suggestions for an app delete any data?
No, it only stops that app's content and predictions from surfacing in Search and Suggestions — the app itself and its data remain completely unaffected.
Can I use Siri without saying 'Hey Siri' out loud?
Yes, you can press and hold the side button (or Home button on older models), or turn on 'Type to Siri' to send text requests without speaking at all.
Related settings
- Privacy & PermissionsThe Privacy & Security hub lets you review and control exactly which apps can access your Camera, Microphone, Location Services, Contacts, Photos, and more.
- NotificationsNotification settings let you control exactly how each app alerts you — as a banner, a sound, a badge, or grouped into a scheduled summary — so your Lock Screen and Notification Center reflect what actually deserves your attention.
- KeyboardKeyboard settings let you add languages and layouts, configure autocorrect and predictive text, and connect a physical Bluetooth or Magic Keyboard for a more traditional typing experience.
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