When you buy a new iPhone, such as the iPhone 14 Pro Max, you get access to all of iOS 16‘s advanced features. Though, many users miss out on making the most out of their devices since some features are buried deep in the Settings app. One of the lesser-known perks available on newer iPhones and iPads is the ability to have Siri announce notifications. When enabled, Siri will read out notifications you receive through compatible earbuds or your iDevice’s speaker. Below you will find the detailed steps you need to follow to enable or disable this utility.
Having Siri announce notifications through compatible headphones
If you have one of the newer AirPods or Beats models, then Siri can read notifications when you’re using these headphones. This way, you don’t have to check your phone when on the go and someone messages you. You also get to reply to a message using just your voice. It certainly is a handy tool that privately delivers announcements to you while also giving you the option to respond. To enable it:
- Make sure you’ve paired an eligible AirPods or Beats model to your iPhone or iPad running OS version 15 or later.
- Launch the Settings app.
- Enter the Notifications section.
- Tap on Announce Notifications.
- Enable the Announce Notifications and Headphones toggles.
- You can also block Siri from announcing notifications from specific applications by going through the app list that follows.
- Now, whenever you’re wearing your compatible headphones and a notification from a whitelisted app comes in, Siri will read it out to you.
Siri notification announcements through the iDevice’s speaker
If you don’t own a compatible pair of headphones, then you can still have Siri announce notifications through the speaker of your iPhone or iPad. Though, this feature isn’t private, as anyone sitting with you in the same room can hear your incoming messages, notifications, and their contents. So only enable this feature if you don’t care about others learning about your phone’s alerts or if you tend to spend time on your own. Either way, make sure you don’t disturb others around you. To enable it:
- Make sure you’re running iOS/iPadOS 16 or later.
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Scroll down and enter the Accessibility section.
- Again, scroll down through the list, then tap on Siri.
- Scroll down, and enable the Announce Notifications on Speaker toggle.
- To blacklist a certain app so that Siri doesn’t announce its notifications, enter the Announce Notifications section and disable apps based on your preference.
Having Siri announce notifications certainly makes my jogging sessions more pleasant. Instead of glancing at my Apple Watch or iPhone, I simply have my AirPods read them to me. This way, I only interrupt my workout if it’s an urgent matter that can’t really wait. Otherwise, I stay up to date with the incoming alerts without having to take a look every few minutes.
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Apple iPhone 14
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Apple iPhone 14 Pro
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