Turn on and activate Siri on Mac
Siri is an intelligent assistant that’s built into your Mac to help you get things done. To get started, learn the basics—like how to turn Siri on and get its attention.
Note: Siri is designed to protect your information and to let you choose what you share. To learn more, see the Siri, Dictation & Privacy website and the Improve Siri and Dictation & Privacy website.
Turn on Siri
Siri needs to be turned on before you use it to get information. If you didn’t set up Siri when you first set up your Mac, do the following:
Go to the System Settings app 👁 Image
on your Mac.Click Apple Intelligence & Siri 👁 Image
(or Siri 👁 Image
) in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)Turn on Siri, then click Enable.
If you try to activate Siri when the option isn’t selected, you’re prompted to enable Siri. You must be connected to the internet to use Siri.
If you’re asked if you want to improve Siri and Dictation, do one of the following:
Share audio recordings: Click Share Audio Recordings to allow Apple to store audio of your Siri and Dictation interactions from your Mac. Apple may review a sample of stored audio.
Don’t share audio recordings: Click Not Now.
Note: You can delete the audio interactions whenever you like—see Delete Siri and Dictation history.
If you change your mind later and want to share or stop sharing audio recordings, click Privacy & Security 👁 Image
in the sidebar, click Analytics & Improvements (you may need to scroll down), then adjust the settings. To learn more about how Apple protects your information and lets you choose what you share, click About Device Analytics & Privacy, then click Improve Siri & Dictation. Or see the Apple Privacy website.To further customize Siri settings (such as how to activate either “Hey Siri” or “Siri” and how Siri sounds) see Customize Siri.
Activate Siri
After you turn on Siri, you need to activate it, then ask a question or make a request.
Note: You must be connected to the internet to use Siri.
Do one of the following:
Press and hold 👁 the Microphone key
in the row of function keys on your keyboard. If this key isn’t available, use the keyboard shortcut specified in Siri settings.Click 👁 Apple Intelligence Siri
or 👁 Siri
in the menu bar. If it’s not shown, see Add Siri to the menu bar.Say “Hey Siri” or “Siri” (if this option is available and turned on in Siri settings). To turn “Hey Siri” or “Siri” on, see Activate “Hey Siri” or “Siri”.
To check whether “Hey Siri” or “Siri” is available for your device, language, and region, see the macOS Feature Availability website.
Make a request—for example, “Set up a meeting at 9” or “What was the score for last night’s game?” See How to use Siri.
If you have Location Services turned on, the location of your device is determined at the time of the request. You can change this option in System Settings—see Control access to the location of your Mac.
Turn off Siri
Go to the System Settings app 👁 Image
on your Mac.Click Apple Intelligence & Siri 👁 Image
(or Siri 👁 Image
) in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)Turn off Siri.
If you’re the family organizer for a Family Sharing group, you can set up Screen Time for a child and restrict access to Siri & Dictation. See Change Intelligence & Siri settings in Screen Time.