Why does Siri require my iPhone to be unlocked first?

Sorry, Senior Member, but this information is incorrect. I use 'Hey, Siri' around my house every day, especially when I can't find my phone; I'll yell out to it and say, "Hey, Siri. Where are you?" My partner's phone is also in our house, and his Siri never replies -- even when it's right next to mine.

Why else would the iPhone ask us to repeat a number of messages when we're enabling this feature? (see below).

If I say Siri or Hey Siri, my two brothers and my best friend’s iPhone all respond simultaneously. And before you ask, I have had every single iPhone since the very first one, I get the new model every single year together with two MacBooks, two Mac mini’s, three iPads, Apple Watch, and eleven HomePods. So yes, I think I can call myself close to an expert. Siri sucks and everyone knows it. Let’s all pray for 2024 Siri revamp.

@lobsterghost1 actual Apple app developer here. I will challenge “senior member” as what he has said makes zero sense, whether he has helped the world out a million times over or not. We don’t need to get technical about anything other than to say in what universe are you all able to walk into a room and activate Siri on OTHER peoples phones. That’s only been the case with android phones when YouTube videos and other recordings could activate “hey google,” but that’s far and between.

There’s never to my knowledge been a time when you can walk into a room and announce “hey siri” activating it on others phones. If you want me to run serious tests AT the Apple Store, record it, and submit it online I certainly can. But please refrain from backing up false and inaccurate information simply because it came from a senior member. This information is blatantly false, and many users have confirmed this with their spouses phones when announcing “hey siri.” If we all have forgotten, “hey siri” is first activated by saying it a few times and even announcing small phrases to train it specifically for your phone/account. It’s wild someone with such a high level of support would seriously believe, and thus explain, it to happen any other way.

to the other users wanting an answer, reference Faisal’s answer please.

Today is 10.3.24 at 5:21 PM EDT, and Siri continues to tell me to unlock my phone before it will make a call. However it worked perfectly fine at noon today. I have done all the troubleshooting including disabling Siri, locked settings, network settings, you name it, I’ve done it. What’s going on?

That is completely strange. I have a special shortcut set for “hey siri where are you”. Typically it will say “im here” or “here i am”. But I changed it so to set a timer for 1 sec. I say it loud and clear even with my wife’s phone nearby that my phone can hear it anywhere in my apt. Only my phone responds. No other phone even makes a gesture.

your voice must be something special.

User1212- wrote:

Try going to

settings

accessibility

and set up voice control

Did you notice that you just responded to a 2 year old post? And that your suggestion has absolutely nothing to do with the original problem?

That option is selected in my settings, however sometimes I have to unlock my phone while other times I don’t.

it just happened within five minutes of each other. I had my phone on the kitchen counter, my Bluetooth headset on my head while I was in the bedroom and told Siri to call a particular contact and she did. That contact wasn’t available so I ended the call without leaving a voice message. Again, with the phone still on the counter and me being 5 feet away from it I pushed the button on my headset and told Siri to make another call and she said I had to unlock my iPhone first.

I really don’t get it.

sad

Hey Siri I need to unlock my iPhone First

It doenst work tried it

Same here I had to totally disable Siri. Will switch to android If they don’t fix it soon.

not working

bhavya178 wrote:

not working

What isn’t working?

I was in a meeting a while ago, and I said “Hey Siri” and a number of phones responded. At home when I say Hey Siri both my iPhone and my wife’s iPhone or iPad, (whichever is closer), responds