Siri is a voice assistant, just like Alexa and Google Assistant. It makes things a lot easier for every one of us, we can ask it anything or command it to do certain tasks. However, most people fear Siri and don’t want to use it because they think that it is secretly listening to them. But is this true? Does Siri spy on you? Is Siri always listening? Keep reading the article to find all the answers.
Table Of Contents
- Quick Summary
- Is Siri Always Listening?
- Does Siri Spy On You?
- Does Siri Spy On You For The Government?
- Does Siri Record Everything You Say?
- Does Siri Listen To You When Turned Off?
- How Do I Stop Siri From Spying On Me?
- Final Verdict
- FAQs
Quick Summary
Siri only listens when it is activated through voice commands or by pushing the button on the iPhone. Also, the data that is collected through Siri is safe and secure on the Apple servers and they don’t share it with anyone. Overall, Siri is not eavesdropping or spying on you.
Is Siri Always Listening?
People who own an iPhone have a thought in the back of their minds “ is Siri secretly listening?”. And the question is justified because if Siri is not always listening then how come it listens to our “Hey Siri” command? This creates doubt in the minds of iPhone users that Siri might be eavesdropping on them.
However, according to Apple, iPhones have the ability to respond to voice commands without always listening to your conversations. This is because it has small local buffers (chunks of audio) that are only activated when there is a strong likelihood that the phrase “Hey, Siri” has been spoken. This allows Siri to be easily activated without eavesdropping on the user’s phone surroundings.
Does Siri Spy On You?
According to Apple, Siri is listening to you but it is not spying. Whenever you talk to Siri to ask questions or give some commands like send a text, make a call, or set an alarm all your requests are processed on Apple’s own server.
This means no third party is involved in it and nor does Apple ever shares the data it has collected through Siri with anyone. Also, the data that is being collected by Apple through Siri is only used to improve its services and not to spy on you.
Apple has said multiple times that unlike Facebook or Google it does not sell its users’ private information to advertisers to show personalized ads. Hence, you can be sure that Apple or Siri is not spying on you and that your data is in safe hands.
Does Siri Spy On You For The Government?
Apple has stated that it does not share any of its user’s personal information with anyone including government agencies. However, if the government has an order from the court to check the user data, in that case, Apple has no option but to let the government access the user data they have collected.
However, you need to be worry-free because government agencies will not do any harm to you even if they have access to your data. So chill and relax.
Does Siri Record Everything You Say?
No, don’t worry Siri does not record conversations. It waits for the trigger phrase “Hey Siri” and only after that, it activates. Before that, it cannot record anything you say. Once Siri is activated it can record everything you say. The recording is then sent to the Apple server to process and give you an apt reply for your command or query.
Also, the recording it sends is attached to an anonymous number. Hence, Apple never knows which Apple ID is associated with it. This means that Apple doesn’t know it’s your audio, so you don’t have to worry about Siri spying on you.
Does Siri Listen To You When Turned Off?
Most people who fear that Siri might be listening to their conversations ask this question, ‘does Siri listen to you when turned off?’ And the answer to this question is no, Siri does not listen to you when it is turned off. It only listens to your conversations when it is activated by pressing the Home button or when you say “Hey Siri”.
How Do I Stop Siri From Spying On Me?
Siri does not spy on you and I have proved it to you in this article already. However, if you are still concerned about your safety and want to stop Siri from spying on you then you can follow the methods mentioned below.
1. Be Mindful When You Say “Hey Siri”
If the Hey Siri feature is enabled on your phone then you must be careful when you say these words. Because as you say these words, Siri will be activated and start eavesdropping on you. So don’t say those words and if you do, be aware of what’s coming out of your mouth.
You can also disable the Hey Siri option altogether if you don’t want to use it. To disable the Hey Siri option you need to follow the below steps
- Go To Settings > Siri & Search.
- Next, you need to toggle off the button that says Listen For Hey Siri.
With this, “Hey Siri” is disabled, and even if you say Hey Siri it will not record your conversation.
2. Use The Type to Siri Feature
Instead of using Siri through voice commands, you can make use of the Type to Siri feature. It allows you to type in your queries and commands instead of speaking them. Hence, it’s safer for your privacy.
3. Delete Siri History
Clearing your Siri history is a good way to prevent someone from accessing your private details. Here’s how you can delete Siri history on your iPhone.
- Go to the Settings option on your phone and then select Siri & Search. Next, select the option Siri & Dictation History.
- After that, tap on Delete Siri & Dictation History.
With this, all the data Siri has collected about you will be deleted.
4. Customize Siri Settings
You have the option to customize the Siri settings and control what data it can access about you. You can adjust the Siri settings on your phone from Settings. Here’s how to do that.
- Under Settings choose Siri & Search option. Now scroll down and select which app and service you want Siri to access.
- You can disable Siri for any particular feature or app by toggling off the Learn from this app button.
Final Verdict
One of the biggest USPs of Apple devices and services is the security and privacy that they provide to their users. However, most people still fear that Siri might be listening to their conversations or spying on them for the government. However, there is no evidence to date that supports these allegations.
If you fear that Siri is spying on you, you can take the precautions I have shared with you in the post. If you use Siri carefully then you can prevent it from spying on you even though it doesn’t.
FAQs
Is Siri Microphone Always On?
No, it only gets activated when you say Hey Siri or push the home button.
Is Siri A Privacy Risk?
No, don't worry Siri does not possess any privacy risk as all the data it collects about you is safe in the Apple server.
Can Siri Be Hacked?
Yes, it is possible but not something everyone can do. Only expert hackers can hack into Siri and there's no guarantee that they will always able to do that.
