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How To Disable Voice Command Feature permanently

I want to disable the Voice Command feature permanently. I know that it can be disabled when the iPhone 3GS is locked, but I want to disable it completely. Is it possible?

Apple! Please release a patch to turn this feature off. It's weak, and not all of us want to use it. I'd much rather have the ability to map another feature to holding the home button.

iPhone 3GS, iPhone OS 3.0

Posted on Jun 25, 2009 8:58 PM

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391 replies

Aug 2, 2017 8:59 PM in response to Gary Kercheck

It takes the resurrection of Steve Jobs for Apple to get their **** together with the combination of getting quallity manufacturers to produce their products. We already pay an arm and a leg for Apple's crap devices...they subcontract everything to countries with employee wages under $5 an hour and then they turn around and sell the crap to us for ridiculous prices. Apple is a greedy organization and nothing will ever change until someone at that company stops looking only at the numbers and more at the quality of their product. The company died with Steve Jobs!

Jun 26, 2009 10:14 AM in response to iThott

I would like to see this as an optional feature, too.

I use my iPhone for music playback when I'm active. It's incredibly frustrating to have the audio interrupted by wind.

Beyond that, I'm not sure when I'd actually want to use this feature. Voice recognition and I haven't gotten along together in the past, and life has been good without it.

Please make this an optional feature that I can disable.

keywords: voice control, voice command, voice dial, iphone 3gs, iphone 3.0

Jun 26, 2009 1:34 PM in response to Envision99

I've disabled the voice dial. I want to disable the voice control. Here's why:

Turn on your 3GS. Open the iPod.app, play some music through your earbuds (w/ microphone on cord). Hold the microphone, blow into it. You'll either track back through the song, lose audio, or skip tracks. That's how you can replicate it, but it's not like I sit around and blow into microphone so I've got something to complain about 😀

My problem is when I'm moving fast (on my motorcycle, snowboarding, biking, skateboarding), that wind triggers the voice command (not voice dial), interrupting audio. If you have the problem, it's really, really annoying. If you don't have the problem, I envy you 🙂

Jun 26, 2009 2:00 PM in response to tehPickle

You must have a faulty headset, here is how the control works on the headset.

1. Press down on the center once pauses the iPod.
2. Press down on the center twice the iPod moves to the next song.
3. Press down on the center three times the iPod goes back one song.
4. Hold down the center and the voice control comes up.

The voice control should not be coming up if you aren't holding down on the center of the control unit on the headset. If you have a faulty headset return it to apple and exchange it for a new one.

Jun 27, 2009 7:11 AM in response to iThott

iThott, I'm talking about the iPod.app running on the iPhone 3GS.

Envision99, while I appreciate your help, I still stand by my original comment - I would like to see this as an optional feature, too. Stock earbuds don't have the sound quality I want, and the Shure's I have work very well with the 3G (w/ 3.0).

I'm not looking for an argument. Rather, I'd just like to again request that Voice Command be an optional feature which is easy to disable.

Jun 29, 2009 12:35 PM in response to Envision99

If voice control is randomly turning on then it sounds like you have a faulty set of headphones or iPhone. Voice command should only come on when holding the center headphone button or home button. Once you get that fixed you can choose never to hold the button down. Doesnt sound like a feature that needs an on/off switch when you can easily avoid it once your issue is resolved.

Jul 1, 2009 6:21 PM in response to Ray Golob

Hi Ray,

This happens at various speeds (when I'm moving); the wind moving through the microphone hits the right dB level, and thinks an input is being given. It's not (eg, false positive), which is why it would be great to disable.

I've had it happen when standing still in Chicago -- the windy city, right?

@Envision - unfortunately, I can't find the link you're talking about. I was sort of hoping discussions.apple.com served that purpose 🙂

Jul 2, 2009 7:01 AM in response to tehPickle

Here you go:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

I still haven't had that issue with the Voice Control. It almost sounds like there is something wrong with the software on the iPhone or something. The Voice Control should only turn on when pressing and holding the home button or the middle button on the new headset that comes with the iPhone 3GS.

Jul 7, 2009 10:46 AM in response to iThott

Here is the problem with this "feature". Lock your phone, leave it somewhere and let someone who has knowledge of voice control find your phone, hold down the home button and they can now dial and call anyone they want on your iPhone. NOT a very good idea, not very secure at all. What now is the point of locking your phone.

Jul 7, 2009 11:23 AM in response to Zultar

If you read my posts in this thread I explain how you can disable the voice control for calling people when you have a passcode enabled if you want. Other than that the only thing they can control via voice control is playing music with the iPod, where is the security flaw with that? They can't access any of your data or call anybody if you don't want them to.

How To Disable Voice Command Feature permanently

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