Getting a new iPhone is exciting, but some of its default features can be a little surprising when you are not used to them. One feature that can catch new iPhone users off guard is Announce Calls.
When this feature is enabled, Siri can identify an incoming phone or FaceTime call and announce the caller. Instead of simply seeing the incoming call on your screen, you may suddenly hear Siri say who is calling. This can be useful when you are wearing compatible headphones or using CarPlay, but it may feel unnecessary or even awkward when your phone announces calls in public.
The good news is that you do not need to turn Siri off completely. You can simply disable the setting that makes Siri announce incoming calls.
Here is how to stop Siri from announcing calls on your iPhone.
Why Does Siri Announce Incoming Calls?
The feature responsible for this is called Announce Calls. Apple designed it to make it easier to identify and manage incoming phone and FaceTime calls without having to look at your iPhone. Siri can identify the incoming caller and, depending on the available options and your setup, let you respond using your voice.
For example, imagine that your phone is in your pocket and someone calls you. Instead of taking the phone out to check the screen, Siri can announce who is calling.
This can be particularly useful while driving with CarPlay or when using supported headphones. However, if you prefer to check the caller yourself, you may want to turn the feature off.
How to Stop Siri From Announcing Calls on iPhone
The simplest solution is to change the Announce Calls setting in Siri’s settings.
The exact wording of some menus can vary depending on your iOS version. On current iPhone software, Apple lists Siri settings under Siri or Apple Intelligence & Siri.
Follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap Siri or Apple Intelligence & Siri.
- Look for Announce Calls.
- Tap Announce Calls.
- Choose the option that disables call announcements.
Once you change this setting, Siri should no longer announce incoming phone calls through the call announcement feature.
You do not need to disable Siri itself. Siri can continue to work normally for things such as setting reminders, making calls, sending messages, answering questions, and other voice commands.
What Happens When You Turn Off Announce Calls?
Turning off Announce Calls does not turn off Siri.
This is an important distinction because some people assume they need to disable Siri completely just because they do not want it announcing incoming calls. You can keep Siri enabled and still use it whenever you want.
After disabling the call announcement feature, an incoming call will continue to appear normally on your iPhone. You can see the caller’s name or number on the screen and answer, decline, or silence the call using the usual controls.
Apple also allows you to silence an incoming call by pressing the side button or either volume button.
Siri Is Still Announcing Notifications? Here’s Why
If you turn off Announce Calls but Siri continues to read other things aloud, you may be dealing with a different feature.
Announce Notifications is separate from Announce Calls. It can allow Siri to announce notifications from apps such as Messages and Reminders when you are using supported headphones. Supported third-party apps can also work with notification announcements.
So, if your actual problem is that Siri is reading your incoming text messages, WhatsApp notifications, or other alerts aloud, changing Announce Calls may not solve it.
To manage notification announcements, go to:
Settings > Siri or Apple Intelligence & Siri > Announce Notifications
From there, you can turn the feature off or adjust how notifications are announced. Apple also provides controls for choosing which notifications Siri announces.
How to Stop Siri From Reading Messages Out Loud
Call announcements and message announcements are two different things.
If Siri is announcing incoming messages while you are wearing compatible AirPods or Beats headphones, you need to adjust Announce Notifications rather than Announce Calls.
Open Settings, go to Siri or Apple Intelligence & Siri, and select Announce Notifications. You can then turn the feature off or customize which notifications are announced.
This can be useful if you like Siri’s other features but do not want every incoming message spoken aloud.
For people who use AirPods regularly, this setting can make a noticeable difference because Siri can announce notifications while the iPhone is locked and the screen is dark.
What If You Only Want Siri to Stop Announcing Calls Through AirPods?
If the problem happens mainly when you are wearing AirPods or using another supported headset, check your Siri announcement settings rather than turning Siri off completely.
Apple supports Siri announcements with compatible headphones and when using CarPlay. This is one reason you may notice the behavior more often when your iPhone is connected to another device.
You can keep using Siri with your headphones while changing the settings for calls and notifications to suit your preference.
This is especially useful if you want Siri to remain available for voice commands but do not want your incoming calls announced around other people.
Can You Stop Siri From Announcing Calls Without Turning Off Siri?
Yes.
You do not have to disable Siri completely to stop call announcements.
The Announce Calls feature controls whether Siri identifies incoming calls for you. Siri itself is a much broader feature that can still be used for tasks such as making calls, sending messages, setting alarms, creating reminders, getting directions, and answering questions.
For most people, changing the Announce Calls setting is the better solution than disabling Siri altogether.
What If You Cannot Find “Announce Calls”?
If you recently bought an iPhone and cannot find the exact menu mentioned above, do not panic. Apple changes the names and organization of some settings between iOS versions.
Start by opening Settings and looking for Siri or Apple Intelligence & Siri. Apple’s current iPhone documentation uses both names depending on the software and device configuration.
You can also use the search field at the top of the Settings app and search for Announce Calls.
If you still cannot find the option, make sure you are looking under Siri settings rather than general notification settings. If your issue is actually related to notifications, check the Announce Notifications settings instead.
Should You Turn Siri Off Completely?
For most users, there is no reason to disable Siri just because you do not like call announcements.
Siri can still be useful for everyday tasks, especially when you are driving, cooking, exercising, or simply do not want to type something manually. Apple supports Siri for calls, messages, reminders, calendars, directions, music and many other functions.
If call announcements are the only thing bothering you, changing that one setting is a cleaner solution.
You can also customize other Siri settings if you want more control over how the assistant responds. For example, Apple provides options for Siri’s spoken responses and other accessibility-related behavior.
What New iPhone Users Should Know
If you have just switched from an Android phone or bought your first iPhone, some iOS features may behave differently from what you are used to.
Apple includes many features designed to make the iPhone more convenient, but not every feature will suit everyone. Call announcements, notification announcements, automatic settings, privacy controls and Siri suggestions can all be customized.
Rather than disabling an entire feature, it is often worth checking whether there is a specific setting controlling the behavior you dislike.
For example, if your iPhone is announcing callers, look for Announce Calls. If it is reading messages, look for Announce Notifications. If Siri is activating unexpectedly when you press and hold a button, there are separate Siri and accessibility settings for that behavior as well.
Final Thoughts
Siri announcing an incoming caller can be convenient, but it is not something every iPhone user wants. If you prefer your phone to stay quiet and simply show the caller on the screen, you can turn off the Announce Calls feature without disabling Siri.
Go to Settings > Siri or Apple Intelligence & Siri > Announce Calls and change the setting to stop Siri from announcing incoming calls.
If Siri is still speaking after you make this change, check Announce Notifications, especially if the announcements are coming from Messages or other apps. Keeping these two settings separate makes it much easier to control exactly what your iPhone says out loud.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How do I stop Siri from announcing who is calling on my iPhone?
Answer:
Go to Settings > Siri or Apple Intelligence & Siri > Announce Calls and change the setting to disable call announcements. This stops Siri from announcing incoming callers while keeping Siri itself enabled.
Q2. Can I turn off Siri call announcements without turning off Siri?
Answer:
Yes. You only need to change the Announce Calls setting. Siri can continue to perform other tasks such as making calls, sending messages and setting reminders.
Q3. Why is Siri still reading notifications after I turn off Announce Calls?
Answer:
Announce Calls and Announce Notifications are separate features. If Siri is reading text messages or other app notifications aloud, check Settings > Siri or Apple Intelligence & Siri > Announce Notifications and change those settings.
Q4. Why does Siri announce calls when I use AirPods?
Answer:
Siri can announce incoming calls and notifications when you use supported headphones. If you do not want this behavior, adjust the Announce Calls and Announce Notifications settings on your iPhone.