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Siri doesn’t reply when iPhone is locked.

Even though I have Siri enabled to respond when iPhone is locked, I get the reply “you’ll need to unlock your iPhone first”. I’ve gone into a Best Buy Apple service center and called Apple support and the only solution I’ve been given is to do a reset to default settings. I did that once, it didn’t work but created a nightmare scenario resulting in my having to recall every setting adjustment I’ve made in the last 10 years. Surely, someone must have an answer for me. As an added bonus, when I do try to unlock to get my reply, Siri goes silent altogether.

iPhone 12

Posted on May 30, 2023 10:43 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 31, 2023 12:26 AM

Please check this out first.


Settings > FaceID and Passcode > Siri [Enable]. Even after this, unlocking the iPhone is typically required for Siri to reply to a message for security reasons. Read more in my next post.


3 replies

May 31, 2023 12:21 AM in response to therij2000

Unlocking the iPhone is typically required for Siri to reply to a message for security reasons. When your iPhone is locked, it means that unauthorized individuals cannot access your device without the necessary authentication, such as a passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID.


By default, when your iPhone is locked, Siri's functionality is limited to prevent potential privacy breaches. This limitation ensures that even if someone else has physical access to your locked iPhone, they cannot interact with Siri or access your personal information without proper authorization.


When you receive a message and ask Siri to reply to it while your iPhone is locked, Siri needs to access your messaging app, read the contents of the message, and send a response. This requires access to potentially sensitive information and control over your messaging app, which is why the iPhone needs to be unlocked before Siri can fulfill your request.


Unlocking the iPhone grants Siri the necessary permissions and authentication to access your messages and send a reply on your behalf. It helps ensure that only authorized users can interact with Siri and protect your personal data.

Siri doesn’t reply when iPhone is locked.

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