Hi Capablelemon,
welcome to the Apple (user-to-user) Community.
Re: "Siri dictation won’t let me speak paragraph responses:
Can someone please help me out of this situation?"
Am no expert in this area, yet your question surely deserves some response.
There seem multiple possible ways toward finding a workable solution, so I will try to outline them below, so you may try as little, or as many as you see fit, working through them.
That latest update, iOS 17.4.1 provided important bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users. As your iOS is already up-to-date and something is not working as expected, first try re-starting your iPhone: (deletes temporary files, re-establishes connections, may bring recent setting changes you have made into action, and often restores order.)
- Press and hold either volume button and the side button until the power-off slider appears.
- Drag the slider, then wait 30 seconds for your device to turn off.
- To turn your device back on, press and hold the side button (on the right side of your iPhone) until you see the Apple logo. (From Restart your iPhone - Apple Support)
Test to see if Siri is working properly again.
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If you still need help:
Siri may need to be using strong wi-fi, or, if you have a plan, cellular data, in order to complete your task on What's app. So, if you have the option: You might try experimenting to see whether wi-fi or cellular data works best for you. Eg: You could try switching from one to the other. Else you might try checking everything is in order with your service(s), by contacting your service provider(s)
If Cellular Data is off, all data services—including email, web browsing, and push notifications—use Wi-Fi only. If Cellular Data is on, carrier charges may apply. For example, using certain features and services that transfer data, such as Siri and Messages, could result in charges to your data plan.
To turn Cellular Data on or off, go to Settings > Cellular.
To set options when Cellular Data is on, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options.
(If you would like detailed descriptions for the setting-options,
go to the online article: View or change cellular data settings on iPhone - Apple Support)
To check wi-fi: Go to Settings > Wi-Fi. If needed: turn on Wi-Fi.
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Re: " I need to be able to text people this way".
If your iPhone has network connectivity issues, you may need to check for VPN and other third-party security software. Third-party security software that monitors or interacts with network connections can potentially block some connections, such as those required to access the internet or communicate with other devices on your network.
For more information : Go to the online article: If your device has network connectivity issues, check for VPN and other third-party security software - Apple Support
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Re: "Siri says that it can’t go through with my request, or something along those lines".
Seems we need to pinpoint the cause in order to find a solution:
If the network connection to What's app is not the cause:
Check if What's app has made any recent changes to the allowed length of messages
or
you might try checking through Apple's articles for a possible cause:
For iOS 17: Dictate text on iPhone - Apple Support
Check Siri Settings: Change Siri settings on iPhone - Apple Support
and
Change Siri accessibility settings on iPhone.
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Other avenues of help and support:
Maybe others have similar situations, and can share solutions:
It is possible to: Join a community of Apple users who are blind or have low vision.
Pasting two links here below, in case you are haven't already joined and are interested:
Community: https://www.applevis.com/
Forum: https://www.applevis.com/forum
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For iPhone accessibility features: You may want to contact Apple's Accessibility Support Team: How to contact Apple for accessibility support - Apple Support
or
Apple's Accessibility Support Website
(NB: You can "Get Support" from the link at the bottom of their website:)
Accessibility Support - Official Apple Support
or
iPhone Support:
iPhone - Official Apple Support
All the best :-)
