Accessibility - physical and motor
Voice Control
Most people call this operating the whole phone by speaking commands.
Voice Control lets you tap, scroll, type and navigate entirely by voice, with numbered or named overlays showing what you can say.
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 13 and later
- Settings
- Accessibility
- Voice Control
What it does
It is different from Siri. Siri answers requests. Voice Control operates the interface directly, with commands such as Show Numbers, Tap 7, Scroll Down and Go Home. Recognition runs on the device.
What changes
When it is on
The phone listens for commands and a microphone indicator appears.
When it is off
Voice commands are ignored.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- Full control without touching the screen.
- Works offline because recognition is on device.
- Custom commands can run any shortcut.
Good reasons to turn it off
- The phone acts on speech it overhears.
- It uses battery while listening.
Battery
Costs you something
Privacy
No real change
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
Costs you something
Out of the box: Off. A language file downloads the first time you enable it.
Worth reading first
Questions people actually ask
- What is the difference between Siri and Voice Control?
- Siri answers requests. Voice Control drives the interface itself, tapping and scrolling on your behalf.
If it is not working
- Say Go to Sleep to pause listening and Wake Up to resume.
- Show Names and Show Numbers reveal what each element can be called.
- Add it to the Accessibility Shortcut for a quick triple click toggle.