How to Turn Off Voice Control on Your iPhone

Last Updated: June 23, 2022 Tested

Voice Control can be great, until it starts pocket dialing your contacts while you're walking. The Voice Control feature is activated by holding down the Home button, which can easily be accidentally pressed by something else in your pocket or purse. While there is no way to actually disable Voice Control, you can use a workaround to keep it from activating.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Disabling Siri and Voice Dialing

1
Use this workaround to disable Voice Control and prevent pocket calls. Voice Control cannot technically be disabled. This workaround will enable Siri which overrides Voice Control, enable a password lock, and then disable Siri from the lock screen. Doing all this will keep the Home button from launching Voice Control or Siri if the screen is locked, preventing pocket calls.
2
Open the Settings app. You can find this on one of your Home screens. You can also pull down on your Home screen and search for it.

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3
Tap "Siri." In iOS 9 and earlier, you'll need to open the "General" menu first.
4
Toggle Siri ON if it is off. This may seem counter-productive, but you will need to turn Siri on first in order to override Voice Control.
5
Return to the Settings menu and select "Touch ID & Passcode." On older devices that don't support Touch ID, this will just be called "Passcode." If you are using iOS 7 or earlier, this will be located in the "General" section.
6
Tap "Turn Passcode on" and create a passcode if you don't have one already. You'll need to have a passcode to enable the lock screen.
7
Toggle Voice Dialing off. Tap the "Voice Dial" option to turn off voice dialing.
8
Toggle Siri off on the lock screen. Tap the "Siri" option to turn off Siri from the lock screen.
9
Set "Require Password" to "Immediately." This will force your phone to require a passcode as soon as you turn the screen off, preventing pocket calls.
10
Lock your phone. Now that your settings are correct, you won't be able to start the Voice Control or Siri when long-pressing the Home button while the phone is locked in your pocket.^{[1]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Disabling Voice Control for Jailbroken Devices

1
Jailbreak your device. You can quickly disable voice control on your jailbroken iPhone, but not every iPhone can be jailbroken. See Jailbreak an iPhone for detailed instructions based on the version of iOS that you are currently using.
2
Open the Settings menu and select "Activator." After jailbreaking, a tweak called Activator is typically installed automatically. This tweak lets you change tons of settings on your iPhone.^{[2]
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- If you don't have Activator installed, open Cydia and search for it. Click here for more detailed instructions on downloading tweaks from Cydia.
3
Tap "Anywhere." This will allow you to change settings that apply to the phone at all times.
4
Tap "Long Hold" under "Home Button." This is the typical command to initiate Voice Control.
5
Select "Do Nothing" under the "System Actions" section. This will disable the Home button from launching Voice Control.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I disable Siri and Voice Control without having to use a passcode lock or fingerprint?

Community Answer

So I've tried really hard to figure this out. After trial-and-error and online research, I don't think this is possible. I have tried it on so many different types of phones, ranging from iPhone 3GS's to iPhone 6's.
Question

How do I prevent it from talking when I'm typing?

Community Answer

You can go to settings and then click on accessibility. The first option should say "Voice Over," and then you would turn off voice over.
Question

What should I do if my phone is stuck on voice command?

Community Answer

Try restarting it. If you don't know the "shortcut", hold the power button and home button until you see the apple appear on the screen.