Siri doesn’t quite sound like Siri anymore!
Users Point to Apple Intelligence After iOS 18 Update
▼ Summary
– Users have noticed subtle changes in Siri’s voice, including a flatter tone and different cadence, following the iOS 18 update.
– The perceived shift is particularly noticeable in regional voices like Australian, Irish, and American English, with descriptions such as “unnatural” and “stern.”
– The changes coincide with the rollout of iOS 18, where Siri’s voice is now synthesized on-device using Apple Intelligence language models.
– Some users found a workaround by disabling Apple Intelligence, which reverts Siri’s voice to its pre-iOS 18 state.
– Apple has not specifically addressed user concerns about the voice changes, and adjusting settings remains the main solution for those preferring the previous voice.
If Apple’s long-serving voice assistant sounds a little different to your ear lately, you aren’t imagining things. Users across various online forums have noted subtle but perceptible changes in Siri’s vocal delivery – perhaps a flatter tone, a different cadence, or a less natural inflection than they remember. While not a dramatic overhaul, it’s enough to make some long-time iPhone users pause.
Reports suggest this perceived shift is particularly noticeable with certain regional voices, including the Australian, Irish, and American English options. Descriptions like “unnatural,” “stern,” or “disengaged” have surfaced in user discussions, contrasting with the generally more upbeat tone many had grown accustomed to.
The Connection to Apple Intelligence
The timing of these observations points towards a likely source: the rollout of iOS 18 and Apple’s integrated suite of AI features, dubbed Apple Intelligence. Buried within the updates was a significant change to how Siri functions. Apple stated in its iOS 18 release notes that Siri’s voice is now “synthesized entirely on device by Apple Intelligence new language models,” claiming this would make it sound “more natural, expressive, and clear”.
This marks a technical shift, moving voice generation from potentially relying more on server-side processing to running directly on the device’s newer chips via Apple Intelligence models. The goal was ostensibly an improvement, but user feedback suggests the subjective experience hasn’t uniformly matched Apple’s description.
Finding a Workaround (For Now)
Interestingly, some users investigating the change discovered a potential fix. Disabling the new AI features seems to revert Siri’s voice to its pre-iOS 18 state. In an Apple Support Community thread dating back to the period users began noticing the change (around December 2024, according to the thread cited), multiple users confirmed this workaround.
“Managed to get original Siri back by disabling Apple intelligence“, wrote one user. Another confirmed, “Yep, that worked… Siri’s voice is back to the way it was pre iOS 18“.
For those bothered by the new voice tone, the option exists: navigate to Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri > and toggle Apple Intelligence off. It’s worth noting this is an opt-out system, and doing so will disable the broader Apple Intelligence features beyond just Siri’s voice synthesis. Some users also noted that the iOS 18.2 update might have reset their Siri voice choice back to the default (American, Voice 1), requiring them to re-select their preferred voice and potentially disable Apple Intelligence if they disliked the new synthesis.
Apple hasn’t issued a specific statement addressing these user perceptions of the voice change post-iOS 18. For now, adjusting the Apple Intelligence settings appears to be the primary recourse for users who prefer the older Siri sound.
(Source: Mashable)
