If you use an iPhone or a HomePod, you are likely familiar with the auditory feedback Siri provides when invoked. When you say “Hey Siri” across the room, the device emits a distinct, subtle chime to let you know that it has successfully heard the wake word and is actively listening to your command.
Strangely, Apple disabled this auditory feedback chime on macOS by default. If you say “Hey Siri” to your iMac or MacBook, the only indication that Siri is listening is a small visual icon appearing in the corner of your screen. If you aren’t looking directly at the monitor, or if you are calling out to your Mac from across the office, you have absolutely no idea if the microphone actually picked up your voice until you finish speaking and it fails to respond.
Fortunately, the feedback chime file is actually present on your Mac’s hard drive; Apple just hid the toggle to turn it on. You can forcefully enable the “Hey Siri” chime using a quick Terminal command.
Step 1: Enable the Chime via Terminal
We will use the defaults command to modify the core preference file for the Siri assistant daemon, explicitly setting the “Voice Feedback” property to true.
- Open the Terminal app (found in Applications > Utilities, or via Spotlight search).
- Copy and paste the following command exactly as written:
defaults write com.apple.Siri VoiceFeedback -bool true - Press Return. The command will execute silently.
Step 2: Restart the Siri Daemon
Although the preference has been updated, the Siri assistant is already running in the background using its old settings. We need to kill the daemon so macOS is forced to restart it and read the new configuration.
- In the same Terminal window, type the following command:
killall Siri - Press Return.
(Note: Depending on your macOS version, the daemon might be named slightly differently. If killall Siri returns a “No matching processes” error, try killall coreaudiod or simply restart your entire Mac).
Step 3: Test the Feedback
Ensure your Mac’s speakers are turned up and not muted.
Say “Hey Siri” clearly into your Mac’s microphone.
Immediately after the wake word registers, you will hear the classic, two-tone Siri activation chime directly from your Mac’s speakers, letting you know it is safe to proceed with your command, even if you are across the room with your back turned.
How to Turn the Chime Back Off
If you decide the chime is too disruptive for a quiet office environment, reversing it is incredibly simple.
- Open the Terminal.
- Paste the following command to restore the default silent behavior:
defaults write com.apple.Siri VoiceFeedback -bool false - Press Return.
- Restart the daemon again (
killall Siri) or reboot your Mac.