How to Fixes Siri Doesn’t Hear Me but Microphone Works

Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant, provides convenience and hands-free operation on iPhones, but encountering a situation where Siri is unresponsive or unable to hear your commands despite the microphone working can be frustrating. In this guide, we will elaborate you various reasons behind this issue and several troubleshooting steps to rectify it.

Why is Siri not able to hear you?

Before knowing how to fix Siri can’t hear me but microphone works issue on iPhone, it is necessary to know why your Siri can’t hear you. Several factors could contribute to Siri's inability to hear commands, and the following are some common causes of it.

⛔ Software Glitches
Temporary software glitches, bugs, or conflicts within the iOS that affect Siri's responsiveness.

⛔ Misconfigured Settings
Incorrect settings, such as privacy permissions, voice feedback settings, or Siri language settings, might affect Siri's ability to hear commands.

⛔ Internet Connection
Siri heavily relies on a stable internet connection. Poor or no internet connection can result in Siri not being able to hear you.

⛔ Background Noise
High levels of background noise or interference might affect Siri's ability to recognize and interpret commands.

⛔ Accessibility and Microphone Settings
Accessibility settings or specific microphone settings might impact Siri's ability to hear commands clearly.

Fixes to Siri doesn’t hear me but microphone works

This part will offer you possible solutions to help you troubleshoot the issue. Just try them one after another until you can get out of the issue - Siri can’t hear me, but microphone works.

1# Disconnect headphones or earbuds

If you're using earbuds or headphones, remove them and try using "Hey Siri" directly on your iPhone. Occasionally, these devices can cause issues with Siri. Also, check to ensure that if you were using earbuds or headphones recently, they aren't still connected to your iPhone.

To check for any lingering connections, go to the Control Center > Check if there's a Bluetooth or earbud symbol in the media bar.

If you see one, it means Siri might be directed through that device. Simply disconnect it, and try activating Siri again to see whether your issue gets fixed.

2# Check Siri settings

Chances are that your Siri is disable on your iPhone so that it can’t hear you. This issue is uncommon as Apple usually prompts users to enable Siri on a new iPhone. However, it's possible that you might have skipped this step during setup or disabled Siri at a later time and forget turning in back on. It's easy to check and re-enable if necessary.

To check Siri settings, go to Settings > Scroll down and choose Siri & Search > Make sure the switch next to Listen for “Hey Siri” is enabled.

According to your needs, you can also enable options like Press Side Button/Home for Siri, Allow Siri When Locked, etc.

3# Check the Internet connection

If your Siri can’t hear you, and you’re facing internet connectivity issues, Siri may respond with messages like "Sorry, I’m having trouble connecting to the network" or "Try again in a little while." These messages suggest that your iPhone might not be adequately connected to the internet.

In such cases, you may need to reconnect to the internet, either via Wi-Fi or mobile data to fix the issue. To avoid any network glitches that cause Siri doesn’t hear you, you can follow the steps below to reset network settings.

To reset network settings, go to Settings > Tap General >Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Choose Reset Network Settings. 

4# Check the Siri restrictions

Your iPhone current settings or restrictions could be a possible reason why Siri is unable to hear or respond to your commands. If you're unable to activate Siri on your iPhone, it's possible that Siri has been inadvertently disabled through your device's restrictions settings. Thus, it is necessary to check the restrictions on your iPhone.

Step 1. Go to iPhone Settings app > Scroll down and choose Screen Time > Click Content & Privacy Restrictions.

Step 2. Tap Allowed Apps > Make sure that Siri & Dictation option is enabled.

5# Disable Low Power Mode

There’s a chance that Siri doesn’t hear you because you’ve enabled Low Power Mode. When it is enabled, you can only use some of the essential functions on iPhone like making and receiving calls, sending and receiving email and messages, accessing the internet, etc.

To address this, disable the Low Power Mode by going to iPhone Settings app > Scroll down to choose Battery > Locate Low Power Mode and make sure it is disabled.

6# Force restart iPhone

iPhone sometimes glitches out. If you’ve tried the solutions above but none of them works, just simply force restart your iPhone to have a try, and try activating Siri again.

• iPhone 8 and later with Face ID: Press and quickly release the Volume + button > Perform the same operation on the Volume - button > Press the Side button and release when you see the Apple logo.
• iPhone 7/7 Plus: Press and hold both the Volume - button and the Power button > Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.
• iPhone 6s or earlier: Press both the Power button and the Home button for seconds > Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.

7# Update iOS to the latest version

Upgrading to the latest iOS version can resolve known bugs and issues that might affect Siri's performance. If there is a new version of iOS available, follow the steps below to update it.

Update your iPhone operating system by going to Settings > General > Software Update and then clicking Download and Install. 

Conclusion

Siri, Apple's virtual assistant, offers convenience and efficiency but might face issues where it does not respond to commands despite the microphone working correctly. Understanding the potential reasons, such as software glitches, settings misconfiguration, internet connection, background noise, or accessibility settings, is crucial in troubleshooting the problem.

By implementing various fixes introduced in this guide, hope you can restore Siri's ability to recognize and respond to commands effectively. However, if the problem persists, seeking guidance and assistance from Apple Support is recommended to ensure a comprehensive resolution to the issue.