Guide
How to turn off “Hey Siri” and “Hey Google”.
To hear its name, an assistant has to keep listening for it. If that makes you uneasy, you can switch the wake word off and still reach the assistant with the press of a button.
On an iPhone
These steps follow Apple’s guide for iOS 27.
- Open Settings and tap Siri.
- Tap Requests, then the option for “Siri” or “Hey Siri”.
- Tap Off. Your iPhone stops listening for “Siri” or “Hey Siri”.
- To keep Siri a press away, turn on Press Side Button for Siri. On supported models you can also turn on Type to Siri.
For a quieter evening without changing any setting, Apple’s own tip is simple: place the iPhone face down.
On Google Assistant devices
Google’s help keeps the setting with Voice Match, in the Google Home app on an Android phone or tablet: open Settings, then Google Assistant, then Voice Match, where “Hey Google” can be switched off. To turn the Assistant off altogether, Google suggests opening the Assistant settings, then General. Menus differ between devices, and phones that have moved to a newer Google assistant may keep the setting elsewhere, so check the help page for yours.
What you give up, and what you keep
Without the wake word you lose hands-free calls for help from across the room, which matters when your hands are full or you cannot reach the phone. You keep everything else: the assistant is still there when you press. For many people that is the better trade, especially in a bedroom or around children. How the two ways of listening compare: hold to talk versus wake words.
Why our ring has no wake word
Lychnos Ring is designed the other way round: its microphone works only while you hold the button, so there is no wake word to switch off. It is in development: a private AI assistant.
Sources, read 4 November 2026: Apple, iPhone User Guide for iOS 27, change Siri settings on iPhone; Google, Google Assistant Help, access Google Assistant with your voice. Menus change between versions and devices.
Questions
Does turning off “Hey Siri” turn off Siri?
No. With the wake word off, your iPhone no longer listens for “Siri” or “Hey Siri”, but you can still start Siri with the side button, if Press Side Button for Siri is on, or by typing to it on supported models.
Is there a quick way to stop an iPhone answering “Hey Siri” for a while?
Apple suggests placing the iPhone face down, which stops it responding to “Siri” or “Hey Siri”.