I. Introduction
Do you own a set of AirPods and find it annoying when they read out your messages? Well, the good news is that you can disable this feature with just a few clicks. This article is intended for AirPods owners who wish to stop message reading. In this article, we will discuss how to disable Siri and Announce Messages and how to customize notifications according to your preference.
II. Describe the Issue
AirPods can read out incoming messages for the user via Siri. While this feature may be useful for some, it can be inconvenient and even embarrassing, depending on the content of the message. Additionally, some users may have privacy concerns as anyone within earshot could hear the message. Therefore, it’s essential to know how to disable this feature to safeguard your privacy and avoid potential awkward moments.
III. How to Disable Siri
The first step in disabling AirPods from reading messages is to disable Siri. Here’s how:
- Go to your iPhone Settings and click on Siri & Search.
- Turn off the switch next to “Listen for ‘Hey Siri'” and “Press Side Button for Siri” to deactivate Siri.
- If you want to keep Siri active on your iPhone, turn off the “Allow Siri When Locked” option.
Disabling Siri may also prevent you from using voice-activated commands commonly used with the voice assistant. So, make sure you’re aware of the potential drawbacks before disabling Siri on your iPhone.
IV. Turn Off Announce Messages
The next step is to turn off the Announce Messages feature in settings. Here’s how:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone and click on Notifications.
- Scroll down and click on Announce Messages below the “Siri Suggestions” section.
- Toggle off the “Announce Messages with Siri” option.
Note that turning off Announce Messages would disable it across all connected devices. Keep in mind that if you wish to keep the feature active on other devices, you’ll need to turn it on independently on each device.
V. Customize Notifications
If you don’t want to disable the Announce Messages feature altogether, you can customize notifications to limit which messages are read out loud. Here’s how:
- Go to Settings and click on Notifications on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and select the app you want to customize notifications for.
- Click on “Announce Messages with Siri” and select “Headphones Only.” This will limit the message notification announcements to your AirPods and not the phone speaker.
You can customize the notifications settings for different apps to customize your AirPods message-reading experience to your liking.
VI. Use Do Not Disturb
You can activate Do Not Disturb to prevent message notifications from being read aloud. Here’s how to use Do Not Disturb:
- Open Control Center by swiping down from the top right corner of the screen on your iPhone.
- Click on the crescent moon-like icon to activate Do Not Disturb.
Do Not Disturb mutes all notifications and calls, including message notifications. It’s a useful feature if you want to avoid distractions, but keep in mind that you may miss out on important calls or message notifications if you have it turned on all the time.
VII. Wrapping Up
We hope this step-by-step guide has been helpful in disabling AirPods from reading out your messages. Remember, you can always experiment with different methods to find the best fit for your needs. Lastly, don’t forget to check for firmware updates for your AirPods or iPhone to ensure the latest features and fixes are available.
Additional Tips
- If you want to entirely disable Siri, you can also do it via your AirPods settings on your iPhone.
- Disabling Siri and Announce Messages may also help conserve battery life on your device.
