The Accidental Assistant
In macOS, you can summon Apple’s voice assistant, Siri, using various methods: clicking the Siri icon in the menu bar, pressing a dedicated keyboard shortcut, or by simply speaking the wake phrase (“Hey Siri” or just “Siri” on newer hardware). The voice activation feature allows for hands-free queries.
However, leaving voice activation enabled means your Mac’s microphone is constantly active, listening for the trigger phrase. This can lead to privacy concerns for some users. Furthermore, it often results in accidental activations; if you say a word that sounds vaguely similar, or if an iPhone or HomePod in the same room also responds, the overlapping digital assistants can become a nuisance. If you still want to use Siri via a keyboard click but want to stop it from constantly listening to your voice, you can disable the wake word.
How to Disable Siri Voice Activation
You can turn off the listening feature in the Siri & Spotlight settings.
- Click the Apple Logo in the top-left corner of the screen and select System Settings… (or System Preferences).
- Scroll down the left-hand sidebar and click on Siri & Spotlight.
- Look for the toggle switch labelled Listen for “Siri” or “Hey Siri” (the exact phrasing depends on your Mac model and macOS version).
- Toggle the switch to the Off position.
Your Mac will immediately stop listening for the wake phrase, completely preventing hands-free activation. (Note: You can still activate Siri by holding down the designated keyboard shortcut, typically the microphone key or holding Command + Space, if the general “Ask Siri” feature is still enabled).