AirPods are incredibly popular, and a big part of the reason behind their popularity is the different functions that they offer.
Not only do AirPods allow you to listen to music while using wireless, Bluetooth headphones, they can also complete a lot of other functions.
Allowing you to access text messages without needing to use your phone is one of them.
When you are in the process of setting up your AirPods, you will be given the option to give them access to different apps on your phone.
Most people will grant their AirPods access to pretty much all of their apps, simply because it can make their lives easier.
If you give your AirPods access to messaging apps, then depending on the access request, this might give your AirPods the ability to read your messages to you as they are delivered to your phone.
This function is compatible with a number of different apps, but is primarily designed for iMessage.
However, you might not necessarily want your AirPods reading your messages aloud to you. If this is the case for you, then you’re in the right place!
In this guide, I’ll be taking a look at how to stop AirPods from reading messages. So if you want to find out more, keep on reading!
What Are AirPods?
Before we dive right into how to stop your AirPods from reading your messages, let’s quickly clarify exactly what we are referring to when we say “AirPods”.
Well as you are probably aware, AirPods are a type of wireless, Bluetooth headphone that are designed and produced by Apple.
AirPods were first released in 2016 alongside the release of the iPhone 7. At the time of release, these headphones really were ground-breaking, and this is a huge part of the reason why they have surged in popularity so much over the years.
Since the first release of the AirPods, they have been tweaked slightly to improve performance. But, the shape and color of both the AirPods and the charging case are the same.
Now-a-days, a lot of people have AirPods, and you will regularly see people walking around with their AirPods in their ears.
As we said earlier, there are a ton of functions that AirPods offer, and this can make them very desirable to people who like to listen to music on the go.
But, not everybody will want to have their messages read aloud to them while they are on the go, which is why you might be wondering how to turn off the messages function. With no further ado, let’s take a look at how to do this.
How To Stop AirPods From Reading Messages
Before we take a look at how to do this, it is important to note that the function that is allowing your messages to read aloud is Siri.
If you are a regular-Apple user, then you will likely be familiar with Siri, and even if you are new to owning an Apple device, you probably will have heard of Siri.
Siri is the voice assistant that comes with all Apple devices. Siri has been around for many years, and was a huge part of what made Apple devices so popular.
Back when Siri was launched on Apple, voice assistants weren’t really a thing, so Siri was groundbreaking, and a ton of people found the feature super cool.
Siri still exists today, and it is Siri that reads your messages aloud to you.
The Siri feature on AirPods essentially allows you to get your notifications direct to your AirPods.
So, if you are on a busy train commute, or out walking in the cold, you can hear your notifications without having to get your phone out of your pocket or your bag.
As Siri has access to your notifications, it is only just messages that you will hear read aloud, but other notifications too. It is the fact that Siri reads out so many notifications that usually has people trying to switch this function off.
While the Siri notification function might at first seem helpful, it can quickly become frustrating.
If you are listening to a new album or a serious podcast, having Siri interrupt constantly with text messages and other notifications can quickly grow annoying.
It can really destroy your flow, disrupt your day and put you in a seriously bad mood. So how do you turn this function off?
How To Switch Off Siri
As long as you follow the steps that we are about to lay out in this guide, then switching off your Siri notifications will be nice and simple.
All you need to do this is your AirPods and your iPhone or iPad. It is important to note that the notification settings for Siri can get quite confusing, so follow these steps super carefully.
- Open Settings, then find Notifications.
- Tap on Announce Notifications, then switch the toggle to off.
And that’s it! This will switch off all notification announcements however, so it likely isn’t something that you will want in the long term.
This is why most people instead choose to just switch off the AirPods option.
If you follow the steps above, you will also prevent Siri from announcing notifications to you when you are using Apple CarPlay, which isn’t ideal if you need to hear messages when you are on the go.
If you want to switch off Siri solely for AirPods, follow these steps:
- Follow the steps above and then click on Announce Notifications.
- Select Apple CarPlay, then check that the toggle is switched to on.
This allows you to receive Siri notifications when connected to your car, but not when connected to your AirPods. Cool right?
Summary
In short, in this guide I have covered how to stop AirPods from reading your messages and notifications to you. While this function can seem cool at first, it can quickly grow annoying, so it is understandable that you may want to switch it off.
Thanks for reading!
From a young age, I have always had a big interest in technology, and this blog is an extension of that interest. Through this blog, I hope to provide others with all of the information they need regarding tech options to consider, and things such as compatibility. Some of the different items I will be discussing include headphones, smartwatches, and how to fix common issues.
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