Turn Off Siri Listening & Delete History on Mac

This guide shows you how to stop Siri from actively listening for the “Hey Siri” wake phrase on your Mac and how to delete the voice history Siri has stored. You’ll also learn how to disable the keyboard shortcut and the menu bar icon if you want Siri completely out of the way. No special tools are needed—just your Mac and a few minutes.

What You’ll Need

• Your Mac (any model running macOS Ventura or later; earlier versions have slightly different menu names, noted where relevant)
• Administrator access (you’ll need to enter your password to change some settings)

Step-by-Step

Part 1: Turn Off “Hey Siri” Listening

1. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on macOS Monterey and earlier) from the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen.
2. Click Siri & Spotlight in the sidebar (or click Siri in the main window on older macOS).
3. Find the toggle labeled Listen for “Hey Siri” and click it to turn it off. The toggle will turn gray, and Siri will no longer respond when you say the wake phrase.
4. If you also want to disable the keyboard shortcut that opens Siri (by default holding Command + Space or pressing the Fn (Globe) key), click the dropdown next to Keyboard Shortcut and select Off.

Part 2: Delete Siri History

5. Still in Siri & Spotlight settings, scroll down to the Siri History section.
6. Click the Delete Siri History… button. A confirmation dialog will appear.
7. Click Delete to confirm. This removes the audio recordings and transcripts associated with your Siri requests from Apple’s servers.

Part 3: Disable Siri Completely (Optional)

8. If you want to turn off Siri entirely, go back to the top of the Siri & Spotlight settings.
9. Click the toggle next to Ask Siri (or Enable Siri on older macOS) to turn it off. This removes the Siri icon from the menu bar and disables all Siri features, including the keyboard shortcut.

Common Mistakes

• Only turning off the keyboard shortcut: Some users disable the shortcut but leave “Hey Siri” on, thinking Siri is off. The wake phrase still works, so make sure you toggle off Listen for “Hey Siri” separately.
• Not deleting history after disabling: Turning off Siri does not automatically erase your past voice history. You must manually click Delete Siri History to remove it.
• Confusing “Siri & Spotlight” with “Spotlight”: Spotlight search settings are separate. Deleting Siri history does not clear your Spotlight search history (which is stored locally).
• Expecting immediate deletion from all devices: Deleting Siri history on your Mac removes it from Apple’s servers, but if you have other Apple devices (iPhone, iPad), their Siri history may still exist until you delete it there too.

Tips

• Use Screen Time to restrict Siri: If you’re managing a child’s Mac, you can go to System Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy and block Siri & Dictation entirely.
• Check your other devices: Siri history is synced across devices via iCloud. To fully clear your voice history, repeat the deletion on your iPhone and iPad under Settings > Siri & Search > Siri History.
• Turn off “Improve Siri & Dictation”: If you don’t want your Siri interactions used to improve Apple’s services, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements and uncheck Improve Siri & Dictation.
• Use a different wake phrase alternative: If you want Siri to listen but not respond to “Hey Siri,” you can also turn off the toggle and still use the keyboard shortcut to activate Siri manually—useful if you only want Siri on demand.

Troubleshooting

• “Hey Siri” still works after turning it off: This can happen if the setting didn’t save properly. Go back to Siri & Spotlight and confirm the toggle is off. If it’s still on, restart your Mac and try again. Also ensure you’re not using a third-party app that mimics the wake phrase.
• Delete Siri History button is grayed out: This usually means Siri is disabled entirely. Turn on Ask Siri temporarily, delete the history, then turn it off again if you wish.
• Can’t find Siri & Spotlight in System Settings: On macOS Ventura and later, it’s in the sidebar. On older versions, it’s a separate pane in System Preferences. If you still can’t find it, use the search bar in System Settings and type “Siri”.
• Siri icon still appears in menu bar: The icon may persist until you restart your Mac or log out and back in. If it remains, check that Ask Siri is off, then restart.
• History reappears after deletion: If you have iCloud sync enabled, Siri history may sync back from another device. Delete history on all devices and consider turning off Siri on those devices as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off “Hey Siri” stop Siri from listening entirely?

No. It stops Siri from actively listening for the wake phrase, but Siri can still be activated by keyboard shortcut or by clicking the Siri icon. To stop all listening, disable Siri completely with the Ask Siri toggle.

Will deleting Siri history affect my other Apple devices?

Deleting history on your Mac removes it from Apple’s servers, but if you have other devices with Siri, they may still have their own local history. You’ll need to delete it separately on each device.

How do I know if Siri has heard me?

When Siri is listening, a colorful waveform appears on your screen. If you see that, Siri is active. If you don’t want that to happen, turn off “Hey Siri” and the keyboard shortcut.

Can I delete only part of my Siri history?

No. Apple only offers a single “Delete Siri History” button that removes all stored Siri interactions. There is no way to selectively delete individual requests.

Does deleting Siri history also delete my Dictation history?

No. Dictation history is separate. If you use Dictation, you can delete its history in System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation (or System Preferences > Keyboard > Dictation on older macOS).

Will Siri still work offline after I disable it?

No. Siri requires an internet connection to process requests. If you disable Siri entirely, you lose all Siri features, including offline ones like setting timers (which actually still require a connection for processing).

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