Easily enable your iPhone microphone with our simple steps
When you try to use the microphone in an iPhone app for the first time, you’ll see a notification asking if you want to allow access. But what happens if you don’t see that notification—or if you accidentally deny access? Luckily, enabling the mic for most apps in on your iPhone is easy. We’ll show you how to do that, plus explain where the mics are on your iPhone and how to check them for physical issues. We’ll also go over how to enable additional features, like Talk to Siri and Voice Control.
Quick Steps
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Privacy & Security .
- Select Microphone .
- Toggle on the switch next to the app for which you want mic access.
Steps
Section 1 of 4:
Enabling for Specific Apps
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Open Settings. You'll find this grey gear app icon on one of your Home Screens or in the Utilities folder.
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Scroll down and tap Privacy & Security . Depending on your version of iOS, this may be in the 3rd or 4th grouping of menu options. Look for an icon of a white hand on a blue background.Advertisement
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Tap Microphone . You may need to scroll down to find it.
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Toggle on the switches for apps that need mic access. A white switch indicates that the app does not have access to the microphone, while a green switch means the microphone is enabled. [1] X Research source
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Sign into the app if you don’t see it in Settings. If you want to enable the mic for an app, but you don’t see it in the Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone menu, you may need to sign into the app if you haven’t done so already. Once you’ve done that, return to the Microphone section of the Settings app and see if the app appears in the list.
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Uninstall and reinstall the app if it still doesn’t work. If all else fails, try deleting the app from your phone, which may help resolve any glitches or corrupted settings. Press and hold the app until a menu pops up, then tap Remove App . Select Delete App in the alert window, then tap Delete . Go to the App Store, search for the app again, then tap the cloud symbol to re-download it.
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Section 3 of 4:
Turning on Talk to Siri
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Open theSettings app. If Siri doesn’t respond when you say “Hey Siri,” it’s possible that you don’t have Siri set up to recognize voice commands. You can easily enable this option in Settings. [3] X Research source
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Go to Siri . Scroll down in the Settings menu and tap on Siri . Depending on your device and your version of iOS, you might see Apple Intelligence & Siri instead.
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Tap Talk to Siri . A new menu will open.
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Select your preferred wake word. If Off is selected, Siri won’t hear or respond to voice commands using a wake word (such as "Siri" or "Hey Siri"). Choose one of the other options to be able to activate Siri with your voice alone.
- Depending on your version of iOS, you might be able to choose just Siri or Hey Siri , or select an option to have Siri respond to either Siri or Hey Siri .
- If you’d rather not have a wake word, toggle on the option to activate Siri with a button (typically the side button on newer iPhone models). Siri will still be able to hear you and respond to voice commands, but only if you press the button.
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Section 4 of 4:
Enabling Voice Control
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Open Settings. Voice Control is an accessibility feature that allows you to control your iPhone remotely with your voice using your microphone and the Siri engine. [4] X Research source To turn it on, open your Settings app. You'll find this grey gear app icon on one of your Home Screens or in the Utilities folder.
- If Voice Control is already enabled when you go through this menu, "Set up Voice Control" may not be an option.
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Scroll down and tap Accessibility . This is next to an icon of a person inside a circle.
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Tap Voice Control . It's in the "Physical and Motor" section.
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Select Set Up Voice Control . If you’ve never turned on Voice Control before, you’ll need to set it up. Tap this blue link at the top of the menu, then follow the prompts to turn it on.
- You can now toggle Voice Control on and off with the toggle switch at the top of this menu.
- When Voice Control is active, you will see a blue icon at the top of the screen that indicates it is on and listening. This icon may look like a microphone or a diamond-shaped series of lines, depending on your device and iOS version.
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Speak a command to control your iPhone. For example, you can say things like “swipe up,” “swipe left,” “tap [item name],” or “lock screen.” If you’re not sure what to say, say “Show me what to say” to view a list of commands.
- To temporarily deactivate Voice Control, say “Go to sleep.” To turn it back on, say “Start listening.”
- You can also command Siri to turn Voice Control on or off in your accessibility settings.
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About This Article
Article Summary
X
1. Open Settings
.
2. Tap Privacy
.
3. Tap Microphone
.
4. Make sure the switches are green and in the on position.
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