In iOS 17.4, which is now available, a new feature enables Siri to read incoming messages to you in the language(s) of your choosing. Keep reading to learn how it works.

siri symbol iphone feature
Previously in iOS 17, ‌Siri‌'s interaction with Messages was limited to one option – the ability for ‌Siri‌ to automatically send your dictated messages without asking you to confirm them first.

In iOS 17.4, however, ‌Siri‌ can also read messages to you in another language different to the primary language that ‌Siri‌ listens to and responds in. It's a neat option to have if you are bilingual or you're learning a new language.

Thanks to the new setting, you can choose from any of the following languages:

  • Arabic
  • Chinese (Cantonese - Hong Kong)
  • Chinese (Mandarin - China mainland)
  • Chinese (Mandarin - Taiwan)
  • Danish
  • Dutch (Netherlands)
  • Finnish
  • French (Canada)
  • French (France)
  • German (Germany)
  • Hebrew
  • Italian (Italy)
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Malay
  • Norwegian Bokmål
  • Portuguese (Brazil)
  • Russian
  • Spanish (Mexico)
  • Spanish (Spain)
  • Thai
  • Turkish

Note that you aren't limited to just one language - you can choose several if you prefer. Here's how to enable the setting on iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later (if you haven't updated yet, go to Settings and select General ➝ Software Update).

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Siri & Search
  3. Tap Messaging with Siri.
  4. Under "Read Messages," tap Add Language....
  5. Select a language to add and wait for it to download.

settings

Most languages only take a minute or so to download, depending on your internet connection. Once the language is installed, tap it in the list and you can choose from any optional varieties and voices where available. Note that you can add more than one language to the list, simply by tapping Add Language... again.

Removing a Language

settings
Removing a language from ‌Siri‌'s list is easy. Simply swipe leftwards across the language, then tap the red Delete button that appears.

Popular Stories

cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017 "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Has No Visible Display Crease – Report

Tuesday February 25, 2025 2:58 am PST by
Apple is making significant headway on its long-rumored foldable iPhone, with a new report suggesting the company has achieved a major breakthrough by effectively eliminating the screen crease that plagues current foldable devices. According to Korean publication ETNews, Apple is finalizing its component suppliers for the foldable iPhone, with the selection process expected to be completed...
trump iphone dictation issue

Apple Fixing 'Trump' Dictation Processing Bug

Tuesday February 25, 2025 1:18 pm PST by
Multiple iPhone owners today noticed a pronunciation processing issue that causes the word "Trump" to momentarily show up when using dictation to send a message with the word "racist." In some cases, when speaking the word racist through the iPhone's built-in dictation feature, the iPhone briefly interprets the spoken word as "Trump" and "Trump" text shows up in the Messages app before being ...
airtag orange

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch in May or June With These New Features

Monday February 24, 2025 6:11 am PST by
Apple plans to launch a second-generation AirTag in May or June this year, according to a post today from a leaker known as Kosutami. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that a new AirTag would be released in mid-2025. May or June would align with that timeframe. Below, we recap three new features rumored for the AirTag 2: With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the...
airpods pro purple

Here's When AirPods Pro 3 Are Rumored to Launch

Monday February 24, 2025 9:14 am PST by
According to a post on X today from a leaker known as Kosutami, Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 in May or June this year. The leaker also claimed that an AirTag 2 will launch around the same time. Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, they accurately...
ios 18 4 carplay

iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

Sunday February 23, 2025 2:23 pm PST by
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay. As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...