Siri, Apple Intelligence, and search
Announce Notifications
Most people call this Siri reading your notifications aloud.
Siri can read incoming notifications aloud through headphones, and optionally through CarPlay or the speaker.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 16 and later
- Settings
- Notifications
- Announce Notifications
What it does
With compatible headphones connected, Siri reads the notification and gives you a moment to reply by voice. You choose which apps are announced, and whether announcements happen in the car or on the speaker.
What changes
When it is on
Notifications are spoken aloud through the connected device.
When it is off
Notifications arrive silently as normal.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- Hands free triage of messages.
- You can reply by voice without touching the phone.
Good reasons to turn it off
- Anyone nearby can hear your messages.
- Constant announcements become tiring.
- It can talk over music or a podcast.
Battery
No real change
Privacy
Costs you something
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: Off, with a prompt when supported headphones connect.
Questions people actually ask
- Why is Siri reading my messages in my AirPods?
- Announce Notifications is on. Turn it off under Siri, or under Notifications, depending on your release.
If it is not working
- Only some headphones support it. AirPods and Beats models generally do.
- Announce Calls is a separate switch on the same screen.
- Reply Without Confirmation removes the extra confirm step, which speeds it up but risks sending mistakes.