How to Stop Apple From Listening To Your Siri Conversations

Photo via Apple 

Following the privacy conflicts over Apple listening to audio clips of Siri recordings in the last few days, there is a setting that iPhone users and macOS users can delete these sensitive files. These recordings are on file at Apple’s servers for quality and assurance purposes, but they can also contain information about your medical history, private conversations and much more. Here’s how to remove these recordings from your iPhone and Mac.

Before we begin deleting the recordings shared with the Apple servers, you have to do the same settings for other iOS devices and Macs, as they’re stored in the device’s system files, not in iCloud storage. In addition, if you reenable the settings you turned off below, the same thing goes on again, with an anonymized identifier.

Apple has recently turned off manual grading sessions for Siri recordings as well, so it is an ideal time to turn off a few Siri settings and dictation. Sooner later, Apple will also add more privacy changes to Siri. But if you get a new iPhone, you can turn off Siri data collection in the setup assistant.

Now let’s start turning off the settings that Siri is taking over your privacy.

On your Mac:

1. Click on the Apple logo () and then click on System Preferences in the menu.
2. Click on the Siri button and disable Ask Siri
3. Go back to System Preferences and click on Dictation
4. Turn off the Dictation features

On an iOS device or your iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app
2. Tap Siri & Search
3. Turn off Hey Siri and on iPhone X or later, turn off Press Side Button for Siri
4. Go back to the Settings page
5. Go on General and scroll down to Keyboards
6. Disable Enable Dictation

You do not need to add these settings to Apple Watch, HomePod and Apple TV.

Conclusion 

Apple has been treating privacy and user data in a serious way, from disabling apps and features temporarily when a privacy issue arises. Although they collect Siri and user data from iPhones, iPads, and Macs to improve their products and services, too much of it can be concerning to every person’s iOS devices and Macs. That is why Apple made adjustments to treating Siri data and recordings in the right way, to its employees who listen to these recordings. Thus far, the Cupertino company already stopped the manual grading sessions for Siri recordings and data, which caused employees to listen to audio recordings from iPhones and other Apple products.