If Siri tends to cut you off before you can finish a spoken query or command, there are a couple of ways you can make it listen longer on iPhone and iPad. Keep reading to learn how.

hey siri banner apple
Have you ever had trouble getting ‌Siri‌ to listen long enough to receive your spoken query or request? If you press the Side or Home button on your Apple device to invoke the virtual assistant, you can easily fix this.

All you have to do is hold down the button for as long as it takes for you to complete your sentence, and ‌Siri‌ will continue listening until you release your finger.

But what if you mainly use the handsfree "Hey ‌Siri‌" spoken command to invoke the virtual assistant? If you're not physically pressing a button, how do you get it to keep the microphone active for as long as you need? Fortunately, there is a solution hidden in your device's settings.

How to Set Siri's Pause Time on iPhone and iPad

In iOS, Apple includes an option that lets you manually set how long ‌Siri‌ waits for you to finish speaking. The steps below show you how it's done.

  1. Open the Settings app on your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌.
  2. Scroll down and tap Accessibility.
  3. Under the "General" section, tap Siri.
  4. Under "‌Siri‌ Pause Time," change the Default to Longer or Longest.

settings

That's all there is to it. Next time you invoke ‌Siri‌ using the Side or Home button, or with the "Hey ‌Siri‌" spoken command, the virtual assistant will wait longer than usual to listen to you, even if you don't say anything at first. To change the wait duration again, simply return to the accessibility menu described above and choose a different ‌Siri‌ pause time.

Popular Stories

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Thursday January 15, 2026 10:56 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026: The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

New Leak Reveals iPhone 18 Pro Display Sizes, Under-Screen Face ID, and More

Wednesday January 14, 2026 7:09 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around eight months away, a leaker has shared some alleged details about the devices. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week, the account Digital Chat Station said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Consistent with previous...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, Macs, and More

Thursday January 15, 2026 11:19 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the United States, according to the company's website. Most of the values declined slightly, but some of the Mac values increased. iPhone ...
Verizon New

Verizon Offering $20 Credit After Major Outage, Here's How to Get It

Thursday January 15, 2026 7:37 am PST by
Verizon today announced it will be offering customers a $20 account credit after a major outage on Wednesday, and action is required to receive it. The carrier said affected customers can accept the credit by logging into the My Verizon app, but it might take some time before this option shows up in the app. Affected customers will receive a text message when the credit is available. On...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

These 5 Apple Products Will Reportedly Be Upgraded With OLED Displays

Friday January 16, 2026 7:07 pm PST by
Apple plans to upgrade the iPad mini, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, iMac, and MacBook Air with OLED displays between 2026 and 2028, according to DigiTimes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the iPad mini and MacBook Pro will receive an OLED display as early as this year, but he does not expect the MacBook Air to adopt the technology until 2028 at the earliest. A new iPad Air is...