Apple Adds Feature to Disable Siri AI on iPhones

Apple has launched its new Siri AI chatbot, built on Google's Gemini foundational models and available on iPhone 15 Pro devices and later running iOS 27. Recognizing growing consumer caution around artificial intelligence, the company has included a feature to disable the chatbot entirely.

The Siri AI assistant can index data on the iPhone and understand on-screen content. However, unlike many other AI services, Apple has provided a method for users to turn off Siri AI. Disabling the chatbot does not affect the broader Apple Intelligence platform, which powers features like generative writing tools and image editing.

When Siri AI is deactivated, users will lose the ability to initiate or continue conversations with the chatbot. Voice commands, such as "Hey Siri, turn on my lights," will no longer function. Additionally, features relying on visual intelligence, such as object recognition in images, may become more limited.

Users can disable Siri AI by navigating to Settings > Siri and selecting "Turn Off Siri." Apple states that Siri AI has sandboxed access to device data, requiring explicit user permission for app access. The feature can be re-enabled at any time through the same settings menu.