How to Fix Siri Not Working on iOS 16

Need to use Siri, but it’s not working on your iPhone running iOS 16?

From setting alarms to launching applications, Siri can help you with various tasks with a simple voice command.

However, it can be frustrating if Siri refuses to respond or fails to work as expected.

There can be several reasons why Siri is not working on iOS 16. It’s possible that a previous update bricked the AI tool, or there are issues with your configurations. 

Besides, temporary errors, corrupted data, and third-party apps can also prevent Siri from working. 

To help with the issue, we’ll show you what to do if Siri is not working on your iPhone. 

Let’s begin!

1. Restart Your iPhone. 

Before tweaking your settings, try restarting your iPhone first. A temporary bug or glitch may have caused Siri to run into errors. 

Restarting your device should clear corrupted data from the system memory, eliminating any issues that occurred on your system during use. 

If you are using an iPhone X, 11, 12, 13, 14, or later, here’s what you need to do: 

1. Hold down the Volume Down button and Side button until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ prompt appears. 
2. Now, drag the slider to the right and wait for 30 seconds. 
3. Press the Side button afterward to turn on your device. 

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For older iPhone models, follow the steps below: 

1. Locate the Power button on your device. 
2. Now, hold the button until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ prompt shows up.
3. Drag the slider to the right and wait 30 seconds before turning on your device.

Try using Siri again to check if the problem is solved. 

Related: How to Fix Siri No Audio on Bluetooth

2. Check If Siri Is Enabled. 

If ‘Hey Siri’ is not working, it’s possible that our favorite AI assistant is disabled. A third-party app may have disabled the feature, or you turned it off by accident.

To confirm this, follow the steps below: 

1. Go to your home screen and tap on Settings. 
2. Now, tap on Siri & Search. 
3. Enable Listen for “Hey Siri” and Press Side Button for Siri. 

Exit settings and try using Siri afterward. 

3. Turn On Dictation. 

Since Siri and Dictation use the same tech, you can try enabling dictation to see if it will get Siri working. 

Check out the steps below to enable dictation on your iPhone: 

1. First, open Settings on your iPhone. 
2. Go to General > Keyboard. 
3. Look for Enable Dictation and tap the toggle switch beside it. 

Try pressing the Side button or saying Hey Siri to check if the problem is solved. 

4. Change Siri Language. 

If Siri is not performing your commands, there’s a chance that you are using the wrong language for the AI assistant. 

Follow the steps below to check Siri’s language settings: 

1. Go to Settings on your iPhone. 
2. Navigate to Siri & Search > Language. 

3. Select the language you want to use and tap Change Language.

4. Go back to the previous page and tap on Voice.
5. Select the voice language you want Siri to use. 
6. Wait for the download to complete. 

Use Siri afterward to check if everything checks out. 

5. Check Your Microphone. 

If “Hey Siri” is not working, there might be a problem with your iPhone’s microphone. Try using other applications to confirm if your microphone works. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. Go to Camera on your iPhone. 
2. Try recording a video and see if the audio is being captured. 
3. Now, open Voice Memos. 
4. Record a voice clip. Play the clip to check if your microphone works. 

You can check our detailed guide for fixing the microphone on your iPhone if it’s not working. 

6. Check Your Network Connection. 

An unstable or slow internet connection could also cause Siri to malfunction, especially when you’re asking for restaurant suggestions, weather, etc. 

To check if your network is the culprit, perform a test using Fast.com to measure your connection’s upload and download speed. 

If the result indicates a problem with your connection, power cycle your modem or router. 

1. Unplug your router from the power source.
2. Wait for 5 to 10 seconds. 
3. Plug back in your device and wait for it to initialize. 

Reconnect to your network and run another speed test. If the issue persists, contact your service provider to report the problem. 

Related: How to Stop Siri from Reading Text Messages

7. Reset Your Network Settings. 

You can also try resetting your network settings if you continue to encounter network-related problems. 

This will ensure that there are no issues with your current configurations that cause connection problems to your device. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. On your iPhone, go to the main menu and open Settings. 
2. Now, tap on General. 
3. Look for Transfer or Reset iPhone and tap on it. 
4. Tap the Reset option and select Reset Network Settings. 
5. Follow the prompts to continue. 

Once done, connect to your Wi-Fi and see if Siri will work. 

8. Update Your iPhone. 

The version of iOS 16 you’re using might have an issue related to Siri and voice detection. 

To rule this out, check if there are available updates for your iPhone and install them to patch bugs and errors. 

1. Open Settings on your iPhone. 
2. Navigate to General > Software Update. 
3. If there’s a new iOS version available, tap Download and Install. 
4. Once the new software is ready, follow the prompts to install the update. 

Try using Siri afterward to check if the problem is solved. 

9. Disable Low Power Mode. 

While this is a long shot, you can try disabling power mode to see if you can get Siri to work. 

If your iPhone is running low on battery, low power mode will kick in and could limit some features on your device. 

Try disabling low power mode by doing the following: 

1. Open Settings on your iPhone. 
2. Scroll down and access the Battery tab. 
3. Look for Low Power Mode and disable the feature. 

4. Restart your iPhone. 

Say “Hey Siri” or press the Side button to check if Siri will work. 

10. Contact Apple. 

If none of the solutions above worked, we recommend contacting Apple for further assistance. 

Head to their support page and look up the problem you’re experiencing. Their page should suggest some solutions along with related articles about Siri. 

If you can’t find anything that works, you can contact Apple’s team through phone or chat. 

That ends our guide for fixing Siri if it’s not working on iOS 16. For your questions and other concerns, please drop a comment below, and we’ll do our best to answer them. 

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