How To Fix Siri Activation Issue

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Having trouble with Siri on your iPhone 16 Pro when the device has been idle? If Siri isn’t responding the first time you ask her a question, you’re not alone. Many people face this issue, but there are a few simple steps you can try to fix it.

First, it’s important to understand that Siri might be having trouble listening after the phone’s been sitting idle for a while. When you say “Hey Siri,” the animation appears, confirming your voice is detected, but she doesn’t respond immediately. However, if you wait for the animation to finish and then activate Siri again right after, she responds normally. Interestingly, Siri works fine through your AirPods, so the issue seems to be with the phone’s voice listening.

Here’s what you can do to try and fix this:

Restart Your Phone: Sometimes, a quick restart can fix temporary glitches. Turn off your iPhone, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on.

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Re-train Siri: Go to Settings > Siri & Search, then disable and re-enable Siri. You can also redo the voice training to improve her listening.
Check Settings: Make sure all relevant settings are enabled. For example, go to Settings > Accessibility > Siri and confirm “Always Listen for Siri” is turned on.
Clear Siri & Dictation History: This can help resolve any corrupted data. You’ll find this option under Settings > General > Reset > Reset Siri & Dictation History.
Update Your iPhone: Make sure your device is running the latest iOS version. You’re on iOS 26, so check if a newer update is available.

If none of these steps work, a full factory reset might seem tempting, but it’s a big step. Before doing that, consider doing some research or contacting Apple Support. Many times, these issues are software related and can be fixed with simpler solutions.

Hopefully, one of these tips will help you get Siri responding smoothly after your phone has been idle. If the problem persists, reaching out to Apple could be your best bet for a more tailored solution.