Siri Responding to Non-Owner Voices and False Triggers Since iOS 18.2
TL;DR: Since iOS 18.2, Siri frequently responds to non-owner voices (e.g., movie dialogue or Instagram audio) and sometimes continues listening indefinitely after commands. This behavior coincides with the new Apple Intelligence interface and did not occur in earlier iOS versions.
Description: I’ve been using Siri for commands like “Lights Out” since May 2015, and it has always reliably responded only to my voice. However, after updating to iOS 18.2, I’ve noticed significant issues. Siri now frequently responds to non-owner voices, such as movie dialogue or audio from Instagram, even though it is trained to my voice.
This issue also coincides with the introduction of the new Apple Intelligence interface in iOS 18.2, where Siri illuminates the edges of the screen while listening. During my tests, I observed that Siri sometimes continues listening indefinitely after issuing a command, as indicated by the screen edges remaining illuminated. Only tapping the screen dismisses the illuminated edges, which I assume indicates Siri is still listening.
The problem is particularly disruptive when I issue a command to turn off the lights, sit down to watch a movie, and later hear Siri responding to unrelated audio from the movie.
Steps to Reproduce:
- Issue the Siri command “Lights Out.”
- Begin playing audio, such as a movie or Instagram video.
- Observe that Siri falsely triggers in response to the audio and sometimes continues listening indefinitely (screen edges remain illuminated).
Expected Behavior: Siri should reliably recognize and respond only to my voice and stop listening immediately after processing a command, as it did in all iOS versions prior to 18.2.
Actual Behavior:
- Siri incorrectly triggers in response to voices or audio that are not mine.
- Siri sometimes continues listening indefinitely, as indicated by the illuminated screen edges, until manually dismissed.
Additional Details:
- iPhone model: [Your model, e.g., iPhone 16 Pro Max]
- iOS version: 18.2
- This issue began specifically after the iOS 18.2 update, which introduced the new Apple Intelligence interface for Siri.
I hope this issue can be addressed in an upcoming update, as Siri’s reliability in recognizing my voice exclusively and stopping listening after processing a command is critical to its functionality.
Siri Requires “Thanks” to Stop Listening After Commands
Description: Since updating to iOS 18.2 and now 18.2.1, Siri behaves differently when executing commands. After issuing a simple command like "Lights Out," Siri continues to listen unless I explicitly say “thanks” or a similar follow-up acknowledgment. This was not the case before iOS 18.2.
Previously, Siri would process the command, respond (e.g., "OK, the lights are off"), and immediately stop listening. Now, it seems to wait for additional input or acknowledgment before disengaging, which adds unnecessary steps to a previously seamless interaction.
For example:
- I say, "Lights Out."
- Siri responds, "OK, the lights are off," but the illuminated screen edges remain, indicating it’s still listening.
- Only when I say “thanks” does Siri respond with something like "You’re welcome" or "Don’t mention it" and stop listening.
Steps to Reproduce:
- Say, "Lights Out."
- Observe that Siri continues listening (screen edges illuminated).
- Say, "Thanks," and Siri stops listening.
Expected Behavior: Siri should process the command and immediately stop listening without requiring additional input or acknowledgment.
Actual Behavior: Siri remains in a listening state until explicitly dismissed with a follow-up acknowledgment like “thanks.”
Additional Details:
- iPhone model: [Your model, e.g., iPhone 16 Pro Max]
- iOS version: 18.2.1
- This issue did not exist prior to iOS 18.2.
This behavior feels like an unnecessary regression in Siri’s efficiency. While the conversational features are appreciated in certain contexts, they should not interfere with simple task execution. I hope this can be addressed in an upcoming update.