spinning wheel icon next to wi-fi indicating network activity

Then I will use the word “expected” instead of normal. Speech to text (dictation) requires continuous two-way communication between your phone and Apple’s servers; no interpretation is done on the phone, it is all done on the server. This communication starts when you use any speech to text feature and continues for as long as the app that you are using remains active, whether you are actually speaking or not, because it has to listen for anything that you might say. The spoken content is not stored on the phone then forwarded, it is sent in real time to the server. It also refines what it has returned as the result of the speech to text interpretation after the initial result, which you can sometimes see if you look at the initial result, then watch it. What you might try is to kill whatever app you were using for dictation.

Lawrence, it is not normal because it is not occurring across all devices. If it was normal it would be happening also on my phone and it is not. Also not “expected”. I can kill all of my apps and the circle keeps spinning.

I understand how dictation through the server works. No one has complained about the network activity indicator while actively using dictation. We’ve been clear on this, the problem is the fact that the network activity indicator continues even after dictation is done. Not just “done” as in not talking, but done as in the speech-to-text window has closed and the app you were dictating in has been closed. The icon will display and persistently spin for hours on end. I’ve only seen it stopped three ways: a restart, a network settings reset, or activating Siri.

The problem was occurring 100% of the time I used dictation. Ever since I enabled Siri on my phone though, the problem occurs about 50% of the time.

If this was normal, it would occur with everyone using dictation, and would occur all of the time. It’s a glitch, bug, or whatever you want to call it. Unfortunately, you can now also call it expected.

Btw, the spinning network indicator has never even displayed while I used a third-party keyboard and dictation services, let alone stayed persistent.

I agree with everything you said that is what is going on with my phone I have an iPhone SE second generation and when the dictation window closes the wheel continues to spin after using Siri or restarting the phone or resetting settings it will fix it until you use the dictation again and then it will do the same thing

tobiasr84 wrote:

It‘s also with my 2020 iPhone SE, never experienced this problem before iOS 14. So annoying

Perhaps you haven’t “experienced” it, but people have been discussing it for 13 years in this forum and other sites.

Yes, unfortunately Lawrence Finch is correct. Apparently, Apple has had 13 years to fix this problem and has been unable or unwilling to do so. They will let you return the phone and exchange it for a “replacement device”, but I’m not sure how you avoid getting another one that does the same thing.

Not all iPhone SE’s have this problem though. There are three in my household, and mine is the only one that exhibits this behavior.

Interestingly, based on the serial number, it appears my phone was made in a different factory than the other two. Probably doesn’t mean anything, but it was the only difference I could find, other than we don’t all have the identical selection of apps installed.

Machine_Ruse wrote:

Yes, unfortunately Lawrence Finch is correct. Apparently, Apple has had 13 years to fix this problem and has been unable or unwilling to do so.

Either that, or it is a function of what apps you have installed on the phone that are designed to be in continuous communication with their servers.

I'm not well-versed on the various factories and identifiers. My understanding is that the first two digits indicate the specific factory and the third digit indicates the specific assembly line at that factory. I do not know whether or not Foxconn has multiple factories in China, but I imagine they do.

All of that is just me saying I'm not sure that our phones were manufactured at the same factory.

Exactly that. It started with iOS 14 (never had the problem before; have been using iPhones since iOS 6) and it just occurs when I use the dictation service within an app like WhatsApp. When I refrain from using dictation everything remains perfectly fine. Sometimes it is possible to get rid of the spinning wheel by using Siri with some random request. Since iOS 14.3 a restart of the device helps also, before that even a restart didn't help on my iPhone SE (2020)

SravanKrA, thank you for your attempt at assisting, but I do not believe you’ve read this entire thread, because the discussion you linked to is not a solution that is going to help anyone who is experiencing this problem.

That discussion simply provides steps on how to restart your phone, reset your modem, and how to do a factory restore. As already stated numerous times in this discussion, any of those actions will only temporarily stop the symptom of the persistent spinning network activity indicator. As soon as the user utilizes dictation, the problem will return.

This problem is clearly linked to using Apple’s dictation services.

Let’s face it Apple products are lacking in every way. I tried everything and they admit it’s a software problem but don’t do anything about it. I have a brand new IPhone Se 2020 for sale now. I never had an Android but I’m buying one now.

Also spoke to apple 5 times no one was able to fix the problem which included resetting my phone. Also it would l be much easier if the advisers understood and spoke English........ goodbye IPhone .... Hello Android !!!! No updates on Android devices as they get it right the first time.

More “helpful” people chiming in here without having read the entire thread. Factory resets have been done, with and without restoring from backups, and this does not resolve the issue.

Apple has received plenty of feedback on the problem. The best I can tell, they refuse to acknowledge the issue.

Android has their own issues, but if they get RCS worked out, I’d go back in a heartbeat.

After the 14.3 update I have been able to stop the spinning circle on my iPad Pro 2018 if I press the top button for Siri but don’t say anything. It has to be the next immediate action. If not it keeps spinning. But who wants to ask for Siri every time! Apple support told me that was the “fix”. I refused that answer and now am waiting to hear back from the “engineers”.

Yes, the “Siri fix” was working for me on 14.2. Every once in a while I have to use the Siri fix a couple of times, but it normally works on the first try.

Coincidentally, even during the very early reports of this issue from years ago, the Siri fix was reported as working.