How to Enable Type to Siri in iOS - MacRumors
Skip to Content

How to Enable Type to Siri in iOS

by

One of the common complaints about Siri is the vocal component -- speaking to ‌Siri‌ must be done verbally, which can be embarrassing and inconvenient in social situations. Apple hasn't provided a clear cut solution like an integrated ‌Siri‌ and Spotlight search feature, but iOS has had a Type to ‌Siri‌ feature since iOS 11.

Type to ‌Siri‌ is a function designed for those who are unable to speak, but it can be enabled by anyone who would like to try typing to ‌Siri‌ instead of speaking to ‌Siri‌.

Enabling Type to Siri

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Choose "General."
  3. Select the "Accessibility" section.
  4. Scroll down and "‌Siri‌."typetosiri1
  5. Toggle on "Type to ‌Siri‌."

With Type to ‌Siri‌ enabled, when the Home button (or Side button if your device doesn't have a Home button) is pressed to activate ‌Siri‌, it brings up the keyboard and an option to type a command to ‌Siri‌. Typed ‌Siri‌ commands work just like spoken ‌Siri‌ commands - ‌Siri‌ will respond to questions like "What's the weather?" or "What movies are playing nearby?"

typetosiri2
When you have Type to ‌Siri‌ turned on, it's an all or nothing setting. All commands must be typed if you access ‌Siri‌ through the Home button or Side button. If you say "Hey ‌Siri‌," though, ‌Siri‌ will respond to spoken questions as normal, so you can use spoken commands alongside typed commands in this way. ‌Siri‌ will also respond to voice commands when the AirPods are connected and the personal assistant is activated, either via a tap on the AirPods or by saying "Hey ‌Siri‌" handsfree on AirPods 2.

Related Forum: iOS 12

Top Rated Comments

bob122989 Avatar
119 months ago
“Siri, turn WiFi off, for real.”
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclo Avatar
119 months ago
That’s perfect and very handy for deaf user like me.

Say if I have iPhone X, how will that work since there’s no home button? Was curious.
You'll bring up Siri from the side button.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cariacou Avatar
119 months ago
The all or nothing is the big killer here.
I'd love type to siri 60% of the time, but they Hey Siri is not reliable enough for the rest. Bummer...

It seems that it would be really easy to bring both up at the same time: Keyboard + Vocal Siri
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
supertomtom Avatar
119 months ago
Even though it’s an all or nothing setting, you can still use “Hey Siri” to activate Siri the normal way.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple TV 4K 4th Generation Top View5

New Apple TV 4K Announced With A19 Chip, Updated Siri Remote, More

Tuesday October 13, 2026 6:08 am PDT by
Apple today announced the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, with key features including an A19 chip, Siri AI support, an updated Siri Remote that has Find My support with Precision Finding, built in far-field microphones, support for surround sound with four HomePods in front and rear pairs, and more. The A19 chip in the new Apple TV 4K delivers up to 50% faster CPU performance and up to twice...
homepod mini 2 feature6

Apple Announces $149 HomePod Mini 2 With Siri AI, 'Sound Glow', and Four-Speaker Surround Sound

Tuesday October 13, 2026 6:11 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new HomePod mini equipped with Siri AI, new colors, and improved audio experiences. The new HomePod mini has an S10 chip that supports advanced computational audio, and Apple says it optimizes dynamic range, loudness, and acoustic performance in real-time. A Sound Glow feature turns the HomePod mini's top into a "visual canvas" that glows and animates in sync with...
New Apple TV 4K and Siri Remote Have These 14 New Features Feature

New Apple TV 4K and Siri Remote Have These 14 New Features

Tuesday October 13, 2026 10:26 am PDT by
The new Apple TV 4K and updated Siri Remote unveiled today have quite a few new features, as outlined in our all-in-one summary below. Here are 11 changes coming with the new Apple TV: A19 chip, for up to 50% faster CPU performance and up to twice as fast graphics performance compared to the previous model with the A15 chip. 8GB of RAM is very likely, up from 4GB of RAM in the previous ...
Latest Stories
Apple Shares New Apple Watch Survival Stories
Apple Shares New Apple Watch Survival Stories
10 hours ago
Apple Shares tvOS 27.2 Release Notes With List of New Features
Apple Shares tvOS 27.2 Release Notes With List of New Features
10 hours ago
OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Start at $2,899
OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Start at $2,899
11 hours ago
M6 iMac Sticks With Its Five-Year-Old Color Lineup
M6 iMac Sticks With Its Five-Year-Old Color Lineup
13 hours ago
ChatGPT Can Now Access Your iCloud Mail and Calendar
ChatGPT Can Now Access Your iCloud Mail and Calendar
14 hours ago
Best Buy Details Black Friday Plans With Early Deals Available on Halloween
Best Buy Details Black Friday Plans With Early Deals Available on Halloween
16 hours ago
Apple Reportedly Plans to Release MacBook Neo 2 in First Half of 2027
Apple Reportedly Plans to Release MacBook Neo 2 in First Half of 2027
17 hours ago
M5 vs. M6 MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide: All Differences Compared
M5 vs. M6 MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide: All Differences Compared
18 hours ago
New iMac Available With 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Port on Power Adapter
New iMac Available With 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Port on Power Adapter
18 hours ago
M4 vs. M6 iMac Buyer's Guide: Should You Upgrade?
M4 vs. M6 iMac Buyer's Guide: Should You Upgrade?
18 hours ago
Apple Expected to Announce MacBook Pro With Touchscreen Tomorrow
Apple Expected to Announce MacBook Pro With Touchscreen Tomorrow
19 hours ago
Banktivity Offers 30% Off First Year Subscriptions for MacRumors Readers
Banktivity Offers 30% Off First Year Subscriptions for MacRumors Readers
19 hours ago
M6 MacBook Pro's 170GB/s Memory Bandwidth Skips Base 16GB Model
M6 MacBook Pro's 170GB/s Memory Bandwidth Skips Base 16GB Model
20 hours ago
M6 iMac Pre-Orders and Release Date Announced
M6 iMac Pre-Orders and Release Date Announced
20 hours ago
Apple Updates Creator Studio With New Tools and AI Features
Apple Updates Creator Studio With New Tools and AI Features
20 hours ago
M6 14-Inch MacBook Pro: Pre-Orders and Release Date Announced
M6 14-Inch MacBook Pro: Pre-Orders and Release Date Announced
20 hours ago
Apple Announces New 14-Inch MacBook Pro With M6 Chip
Apple Announces New 14-Inch MacBook Pro With M6 Chip
20 hours ago
Apple Announces New iMac With M6 Chip and More
Apple Announces New iMac With M6 Chip and More
20 hours ago
Apple Fixes Possibly Exploited CoreGraphics Flaw on Older iPhones
Apple Fixes Possibly Exploited CoreGraphics Flaw on Older iPhones
21 hours ago
Apple's MacBook Pro Touch Bar Was Announced 10 Years Ago Today
Apple's MacBook Pro Touch Bar Was Announced 10 Years Ago Today
23 hours ago
iPhone 18e Could Get Two Key Upgrades While Keeping 60Hz Display
iPhone 18e Could Get Two Key Upgrades While Keeping 60Hz Display
23 hours ago
New iMac and 14-Inch MacBook Pro With M6 Chip Expected Tomorrow
New iMac and 14-Inch MacBook Pro With M6 Chip Expected Tomorrow
1 day ago
JAŸ-Z to Headline 2027 Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show
JAŸ-Z to Headline 2027 Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show
1 day ago
macOS 27.2 Stops Upgrades From Removing Rosetta
macOS 27.2 Stops Upgrades From Removing Rosetta
1 day ago
Older Siri Remotes Now Show Up in Find My With iOS 27.2
Older Siri Remotes Now Show Up in Find My With iOS 27.2
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Features Independent Rotation Lock Controls
iPhone Duo Features Independent Rotation Lock Controls
1 day ago
iOS 27.2 Features: Everything New in iOS 27.2
iOS 27.2 Features: Everything New in iOS 27.2
1 day ago
Why Can't iPhone Duo Users Make Eye Contact on FaceTime?
Why Can't iPhone Duo Users Make Eye Contact on FaceTime?
1 day ago
iOS 27.2 Fixes Over 160 Security Vulnerabilities
iOS 27.2 Fixes Over 160 Security Vulnerabilities
2 days ago
iPhone AI Images and Edits Now Have a Hidden Watermark
iPhone AI Images and Edits Now Have a Hidden Watermark
2 days ago