This site is not affiliated with Siri; this is an independent explanation.
Siri not working on an iPhone is nearly always one of three things: the feature is turned off in Settings, the iPhone cannot hear you properly, or the phone cannot reach the internet. Most people get Siri back within a few minutes without any repair.
The trouble can show up in different ways. Sometimes "Hey Siri" gets no reaction, sometimes Siri wakes up but says "I'm having trouble connecting", and sometimes it hears you but does the wrong thing. The steps below start with the quickest checks and move to deeper resets. If other parts of the phone are also acting up, the general guide on phone not working may help too.
Common causes
1Siri or Hey Siri is switched off
How to tellHolding the side button does nothing, or Hey Siri never reacts
What fixes itTurn on the Siri options in Settings under Siri (the name differs slightly by iOS version)
2Weak or no internet connection
How to tellSiri says it has trouble connecting or asks you to try again later
What fixes itTest your connection, then ask Siri again
3Microphone blocked or dirty
How to tellSiri works with the side button but not by voice, or hears you only on speaker
What fixes itRemove the case, clean the mic holes gently and test with Voice Memos
4Screen Time restriction on Siri
How to tellSiri options are greyed out or missing
What fixes itAllow Siri and Dictation under Content and Privacy Restrictions
5Low Power Mode or face-down phone
How to tellHey Siri fails when the phone lies face down or battery saver is on
What fixes itTurn off Low Power Mode and pick up the phone
6Wrong language or voice training
How to tellSiri misunderstands you or ignores your voice
What fixes itSet the right Siri language and redo the Hey Siri setup
7A software glitch after an update
How to tellEverything is on, but Siri still fails
What fixes itRestart the phone, then install the latest iOS update
How to fix it, step by step
Press the side button and talk
Hold the side button (or the Home button on older iPhones) for a second or two. If Siri opens, the feature itself works and only the voice trigger needs fixing. If nothing opens, go straight to the settings step below.
Check the Siri switches in Settings
Open Settings and tap Siri (on newer iOS versions it may sit under Apple Intelligence and Siri). Make sure the options for listening to "Hey Siri" and pressing the side button for Siri are on. Also check that Siri is allowed on the lock screen if you want to use it while locked.
Test your internet connection
Siri sends most requests online. Open any website. If it does not load, move over to cellular data (or the reverse), or toggle flight mode briefly. A router restart helps if only Wi-Fi fails. For slow data, see mobile data not working.
Turn off Low Power Mode
Battery saver can limit always-listening features on some models. Go to Settings, then Battery, and switch Low Power Mode off. Also lift the phone: Hey Siri is designed to ignore you when the screen faces down on a table.
Clean the microphone and remove the case
Thick cases and dust can muffle your voice. Take the case off and blow gently over the bottom grille. Do not poke with pins. Record a short clip in Voice Memos to check the mic. If the clip is silent, read phone microphone not working.
Check the Siri language and Screen Time
In Settings, Siri, pick the language you actually speak. Then open Screen Time, Content and Privacy Restrictions, Allowed Apps, and make sure Siri and Dictation are allowed. A restriction set by a parent or an old profile is a common hidden cause.
Redo the Hey Siri setup
Turn the Hey Siri option off, wait a few seconds, then turn it on again. The phone will ask you to say a few phrases. Do this in a quiet room, holding the phone at normal distance.
Restart, then update iOS
Restart the iPhone using the normal power off slider, then switch it on. Next go to Settings, General, Software Update and install any update, since Siri bugs are often fixed in small releases. Keep the phone charged and on Wi-Fi during the update.
What siri not working really tells you
Siri has two parts. The first part listens for the wake phrase on the phone itself. The second part understands your request, which mostly happens online. If the wake phrase fails, look at the microphone, battery mode and settings. If Siri wakes but cannot answer, look at the internet, language and restrictions.
You say "Hey Siri, call Mom" and hear the chime, then Siri is not available right now. Please try again in a little while. The voice part worked. The connection to the online part did not, so check Wi-Fi or data first.
Hey Siri not working but the side button works
This split points to the listening feature, not the whole of Siri. Re-run the Hey Siri setup, remove the case, and check that the phone is not face down. On some iPhones Hey Siri also needs the phone to be unlocked or charging in certain situations, depending on the model and iOS version. A blocked microphone is the next suspect.
- Works only in a quiet room: the mic is weak or covered.
- Works only when plugged in: battery saver is limiting it.
- Fails only inside one app: another process may be holding the mic.
Why is my Siri not working on iPhone after an update
After a big iOS update, voice settings can reset or stay half loaded. Give the phone a few hours on Wi-Fi so it can finish downloading language data in the background. Then restart once. If Siri is still dead, switch Siri off in Settings, restart, and switch it on again. Do not erase the phone for this problem until you have tried everything else, and always make a backup before any reset.
Quick map of Siri symptoms
| What happens | Likely cause | First move |
|---|---|---|
| No reaction to voice or button | Siri switched off or restricted | Settings, Siri and Screen Time |
| Hears you, then says connection trouble | Internet or server | Test Wi-Fi and mobile data |
| Wrong words understood | Language or mic | Set language, clean mic |
| Works on earbuds only | Phone mic faulty | Test Voice Memos |
When to take the iPhone for repair
If Voice Memos records silence or very faint sound, and cleaning does not help, the microphone or its flex cable may be faulty. Water damage and drops are common reasons. What a fix costs varies with the iPhone model and with how Apple-made the mic board is, since some sit on the charging port flex. Go to an authorised service provider, since opening the phone elsewhere can affect warranty.
Siri only exists on Apple devices. Android phones have their own voice assistant, covered on a separate page.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my Siri not working on my iPhone all of a sudden?
The most common reasons are a lost internet connection, Low Power Mode, a covered microphone or a setting that changed after an update. Check the Siri switches in Settings and test your connection first.
Why is Hey Siri not working when I am driving or in a noisy place?
Background noise makes the phone miss the wake phrase. Press the side button instead, or speak closer to the phone. Redoing the Hey Siri setup in a quiet room can also improve how well it recognises your voice.
Does Siri need the internet to work?
For most requests, yes. A few simple actions can work offline on newer models, but searches, messages and questions need a connection. If Siri says it is having trouble, test Wi-Fi and mobile data.
Is my Siri voice not working because of a hardware fault?
It can be, if the microphone is damaged. Record a clip in Voice Memos. If the sound is clear, the microphone itself is healthy, so look at settings or the network.
Will resetting the iPhone fix Siri?
Only as a last step. Restarting and updating fix most cases. A reset of network settings can help if the internet side is broken, but you will have to join Wi-Fi networks again.