Siri Expressive Voices: How to Adjust Siri on iPhone and Mac

To adjust Siri’s expressive voices on an iPhone or Mac, you can change the voice, dialect, and speaking rate in the Settings app (iPhone) or System Settings (Mac). This guide walks you through the exact steps, explains what “expressive” voices are, and answers common questions about Siri voice options.

What Are Siri’s Expressive Voices?

Starting with iOS 14.5 and macOS Big Sur, Apple introduced a new generation of Siri voices that sound more natural and expressive. These voices use neural text-to-speech technology, which makes intonation and pacing more human-like. They are available in several English dialects, including American, Australian, British, Indian, Irish, and South African. On recent versions of iOS and macOS, you can also choose between two distinct voice styles for some dialects: one that sounds “Variety” (often labeled with a number, like “Voice 1” or “Voice 2”) and another that may sound slightly different in pitch or accent.

These voices are not just for Siri responses—they also affect spoken content in apps like VoiceOver, Speak Screen, and when Siri reads incoming messages aloud. The neural voices require a download (usually around 50–100 MB per voice) and work offline after that.

How to Change Siri’s Voice on iPhone and iPad

On an iPhone or iPad, the Siri voice settings are in the Settings app. Here’s how to change them:

Open Settings.
Tap Siri & Search.
Tap Siri Voice.
Under Variety, choose a voice (e.g., American, Australian, British, Indian, Irish, South African).
Under Voice, select a specific voice (e.g., Voice 1, Voice 2, or Voice 3). Some dialects only have one voice.
You can also tap the play button next to each voice to hear a preview before selecting.

To adjust the speaking rate of Siri’s responses, go to Settings > Siri & Search > Siri Voice and drag the Speaking Rate slider. This affects how fast or slow Siri talks when responding to you.

How to Change Siri’s Voice on Mac

On a Mac, Siri voice settings are in System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions). Here’s how:

Open System Settings (Apple menu > System Settings).
Click Siri & Spotlight in the sidebar.
Next to Siri Voice, click the dropdown menu and choose a voice (e.g., American, Australian, British, etc.).
If there are multiple voices for a dialect, they appear as separate options (e.g., “Voice 1” or “Voice 2”).
To adjust speaking rate, look for a Speaking Rate slider in the same pane. Drag it to make Siri talk slower or faster.

On macOS Ventura and later, you can also change Siri’s voice from the menu bar: click the Siri icon in the menu bar, then go to Siri Settings (or System Settings > Siri).

Why Can’t I See the Expressive Voices?

If you don’t see the new expressive voices, it may be because your device is running an older operating system. Expressive voices require iOS 14.5 or later, and macOS Big Sur 11.3 or later. Also, some voices are only available in specific regions or languages. For example, the South African English voice is only available on iOS 15 and later. If you’re still not seeing them, check that your device is updated and that Siri is set to a supported language.

Another reason could be that you’ve selected a language that doesn’t have neural voices yet. As of now, neural voices are available for many major languages, but not all. You can check Apple’s official documentation for the latest list of supported languages and voices.

How to Make Siri Sound More Natural

Besides choosing a different voice, you can tweak a few other settings to make Siri sound more natural:

Speaking Rate: Slower speech often sounds more natural and less robotic. Try reducing the speaking rate to about 70% on the slider.
Voice Feedback: On iPhone, go to Settings > Siri & Search > Siri Feedback and choose “Always On” or “Control with Ring Switch” to ensure Siri speaks aloud.
Use “Hey Siri” or “Siri” to activate: You can also change the trigger phrase in Settings > Siri & Search > Listen for (choose “Hey Siri” or “Siri” on newer iPhones).
On Mac: In System Settings > Siri & Spotlight, you can enable “Show Siri in menu bar” and choose a keyboard shortcut.

Remember that Siri’s voice is also used for spoken responses in CarPlay, HomePod, and other Apple devices. Changing it on your iPhone will sync to your other devices if you use the same Apple ID.

Common Problems and Fixes

Here are some common issues people face when adjusting Siri’s voice and how to fix them:

Voice downloads are stuck: If a voice is downloading and gets stuck, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage (or About > Storage on Mac) and delete the downloaded Siri voice, then try again. You can also restart your device.
Siri is speaking too fast or too slow: Adjust the Speaking Rate slider in Siri settings. On iPhone, it’s under Siri Voice; on Mac, it’s in the Siri pane.
Voice changes don’t stick: If Siri reverts to the default voice, make sure your device is updated and that you’ve selected a voice that is compatible with your language and region.
Siri is silent: Check that Siri Feedback is set to “Always On” (iPhone) or that “Voice Feedback” is enabled (Mac). Also, ensure your device isn’t in silent mode.

How Siri’s Voice Works: Neural vs. Old Voices

The expressive voices are generated using neural text-to-speech, which uses machine learning to produce more natural prosody (stress, intonation, rhythm). Older Siri voices were based on concatenative synthesis, which stitches together pre-recorded snippets of speech. The neural voices sound smoother and more human, especially for longer sentences.

When you select a voice, your device downloads the model for that voice. The model is stored locally, so Siri can respond even without an internet connection. However, some features like Siri Suggestions may still require a network connection.

It’s also worth noting that Siri’s voice is used for other spoken content, such as reading notifications, messages, and web pages aloud (via Speak Screen on iOS or Text to Speech on macOS). So changing Siri’s voice will also change the voice used for those features.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different Siri voice for different languages?

Yes, Siri voice is tied to the language you set for Siri. If you change the Siri language, you can choose a different voice for that language. For example, you could use an American voice for English and a Spanish voice for Spanish.

Why does Siri sound different on my HomePod than on my iPhone?

Each device has its own Siri voice settings. To change the voice on a HomePod, open the Home app, tap the HomePod, go to Settings, and select Siri Voice. The HomePod also uses the same neural voices if you have iOS 14.5 or later.

Does changing Siri’s voice affect battery life?

Not noticeably. The neural voice models are stored locally and processed on-device, so they don’t drain battery significantly. However, downloading large voice files may use data and take up storage space.

Can I make Siri speak with a British accent if I’m in the US?

Yes, you can choose any available dialect regardless of your region. Just go to Siri Voice settings and select British English. Siri will then respond with a British accent.

Why is there no “Voice 2” option for some dialects?

Some dialects only have one neural voice available. Apple gradually adds more voices for different dialects over time. If you don’t see a second voice, it simply isn’t available yet for that dialect.

Can I use Siri’s voice for third-party apps?

Yes, developers can use SiriKit to integrate Siri’s voice into their apps, but the end user’s Siri voice settings will apply. For text-to-speech in apps, you can also use the system’s “Speak Screen” feature, which uses the same Siri voice.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

More in this bed

The whole Tech How-To bed →