How to Change Siri's Voice and Accent

iPad

Updated June 01, 2019

Siri's voice has become integral to the iPad and iPhone, but it's not the only one Siri is capable of producing. You can change its accent from American English to British English or several other available accents. You can also switch from a female voice to a male one.

Here's how to change Siri's voice.

These instructions apply to devices running iOS 9 or later.

How to Pick a New Accent or Gender for Siri

Open Settings on your iPad.
Tap Siri & Search.
Tap Siri Voice.
The next screen shows all of your options for Siri's voice. It currently supports male and female voices with American, Australian, British, Irish, and South African accents.
You can try out the different Siri voices by tapping them. Siri will say, "I'm Siri, your virtual assistant" in the voice and accent chosen. The sample gives you a preview of what life with your new assistant will be like.

Once you have chosen your new Siri accent, the iPad will need to download a file before it can use the voice.

You Can Also Change Siri's Language Completely

There are a few 'hidden' English accents in the language section such as English (India) and English (Ireland), but these tend to be rather plain compared to the American, British and Australian accents. You can also choose completely different languages, which is great if you are trying to keep up your Spanish skills or use French.

You can change Siri's language by going back to the main Siri page (tap the < Siri & Search link at the top of the screen) and choosing Language from the list. You have dozens of languages to choose from, including Chinese, Spanish, Russian, and Italian and regional versions of most of them.

Siri will also listen for commands in these languages, so you'll need to speak Russian to get an accurate Russian reply.

Other Changes You May Want to Make to Siri

While you are in the Siri settings, you can also customize things like when and how you activate the digital assistant. You'll want to look into these if you're concerned about privacy or don't plan to use Siri very often.

Don't Allow Siri When Your Device Is Locked

By default, you can activate Siri when your iPhone or iPad is still locked, which can be convenient. But it will also let anyone who picks up your device to activate Siri. It won't be able to launch apps without signing in, but it can place phone calls, set reminders, and show upcoming meetings scheduled.

Turn off 'Listen for Hey, Siri'

"Hey, Siri" can be great when you are in the car or at the computer and don't want to take the time to press your iPhone's Home button. But it also means your device is constantly listening to you. Don't worry, this voice recording isn't sent to Apple, but it can use up battery power, so if you don't use "Hey, Siri," it's best to turn it off.