How to Turn On and Use Siri on Your iPhone: A Beginner’s Guide

Siri is Apple’s built-in voice assistant that can answer questions, control your phone, and complete tasks with simple voice commands. If you’ve never used it, this guide will show you exactly how to enable and start using Siri today.

What is Siri?

Siri is a voice assistant that comes pre-installed on all modern iPhones and cannot be removed. It’s designed to understand your voice commands and help you control your phone hands-free. Whether you want to send a message, set a reminder, get weather information, or turn on your flashlight, Siri can do it all without requiring you to type. Current as of: iOS 17 and iOS 18 (2024)

Why Use Siri?

• Hands-free control: Control your iPhone without touching the screen, perfect when your hands are busy or full
• Save time: Ask Siri to set alarms, send messages, or launch apps faster than tapping through menus
• Voice activation: Activate Siri with just ‘Hey Siri’ or ‘Siri’ voice commands—no buttons needed
• Works offline: Many basic commands (alarms, timers, flashlight, app launching) work without internet connection, plus new offline capability in iOS 18 supports even more features in multiple languages

Things to Consider

• Internet connection: While some features work offline, many functions (weather, traffic, real-time information) require internet access
• Privacy note: Siri listens for voice activation, which some users find intrusive. You can disable this anytime in Settings
• Regional variations: Voice activation with just ‘Siri’ (without ‘Hey’) only works in the United States, Australia, Canada, and United Kingdom. ‘Hey Siri’ works globally in supported languages

How to Enable and Use Siri - Step by Step

Step 1: Open Settings Unlock your iPhone and find the Settings app (gray gear icon) on your home screen. Tap it to open.

Step 2: Navigate to Siri Settings Scroll down through the Settings menu. On compatible iPhones with Apple Intelligence (iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max, iPhone 16 series), look for ‘Apple Intelligence & Siri’. On other models, look for ‘Siri & Search’. Tap on this option.

Step 3: Enable Press-to-Activate Siri Look for the toggle switch next to ‘Press Side Button for Siri’ (on iPhone 13 and newer models) or ‘Press Home Button for Siri’ (on iPhone 8 and earlier—note that iPhone SE 3rd generation is the last model with a Home button). If the toggle is gray, tap it once to turn it green. This enables Siri activation by button press.

Step 4: Enable Voice Activation (Optional) Look for the ‘Listen for’ option. Tap it to see your choices:

• ‘Hey Siri’ – Activates Siri when you say ‘Hey Siri’ (works everywhere, includes the wake phrase)
• ‘Siri’ only – Activates with just ‘Siri’ (available in US, Australia, Canada, and UK only)
• ‘Off’ – Disables voice activation

Select your preference. ‘Hey Siri’ is recommended if you want voice control everywhere in the world.

Step 5: Exit Settings and Test Siri Tap the back arrow or swipe from the left edge to close Settings. Siri is now enabled.

Step 6: Activate Siri Press and hold the Side button (iPhone 13 and newer) or the Home button (iPhone 8 and earlier) until you see the Siri interface appear—you’ll see a colorful waveform animation indicating Siri is listening.

Step 7: Try a Test Command Speak clearly and try one of these simple commands:

• “What time is it?”
• “Turn on the flashlight”
• “Set a timer for 5 minutes”
• “Send a message to [contact name]”

Siri will respond with the answer or complete the action. Both test commands work without internet connection, making them perfect for verifying your setup works correctly.

If Siri Isn’t Working

Check the basics first:

• Verify your internet connection (required for some features)
• Make sure your microphone isn’t covered or blocked
• Confirm you’re using the correct button for your iPhone model (Side button on iPhone 13+, Home button on iPhone 8 and earlier)
• Speak clearly in a quiet environment—background noise can interfere with voice recognition

If problems persist after checking these items, try restarting your iPhone: press and hold the Side button + Volume button, then drag the power slider to turn off. Wait 10 seconds, then press the Side button again to restart. For model-specific troubleshooting, visit Apple Support documentation for your exact iPhone model.

You now have Siri enabled and ready to use on your iPhone. Start with simple voice commands to get comfortable, and as you become familiar with Siri’s capabilities, you’ll find it saves you time every day. Voice control makes your iPhone more accessible and efficient—enjoy the hands-free experience!