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Unable to change Siri's voice on MacBook Pro

On macOS (latest version of Sonoma), none of the Siri voices are downloading and I’m unable to change Siri’s voice. Has anyone encountered this problem and found a fix?


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

MacBook Pro (M3, 2023)

Posted on Nov 11, 2023 1:12 PM

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Posted on Nov 12, 2023 8:23 AM

Definitely having the same issue. I noticed that it only applies to Siri voices. For example, if I go to System Voice and try to download a non-Siri voice, it downloads with no problem. The Siri voices won't... just sits there as an empty circle. I tried chatting with a rep... first they had me reboot in Safe mode, which did nothing. Next they wanted me to set up a second user to test it, and that's when I gave up. My machine is brand new... I downloaded the voice 4 days ago on 14.1 and it did fine. Had to do a factory reset and had updated to 14.1.1, and now it won't budge. I'm waiting until the next update to see if it fixes before I do anything else.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 12, 2023 8:23 AM in response to Steves_Bicycle

Definitely having the same issue. I noticed that it only applies to Siri voices. For example, if I go to System Voice and try to download a non-Siri voice, it downloads with no problem. The Siri voices won't... just sits there as an empty circle. I tried chatting with a rep... first they had me reboot in Safe mode, which did nothing. Next they wanted me to set up a second user to test it, and that's when I gave up. My machine is brand new... I downloaded the voice 4 days ago on 14.1 and it did fine. Had to do a factory reset and had updated to 14.1.1, and now it won't budge. I'm waiting until the next update to see if it fixes before I do anything else.

Nov 14, 2023 10:52 AM in response to freesf

Small update:


I have an M2 pro MacBook at work (different from my new M3 pro at home, which is having the issue). Just for fun I checked it this morning. The voices will download just fine and it is on Sonoma 14.1.1. So my original theory that it was the system update may not be entirely correct.


Either way, freesf’s reaponse made me glad I didn’t proceed with their tech options. I had totally factory reset the system due to an unrelated reason, which is why I lost the voice I’d downloaded in the first place.


Either way I’m hoping they can fix it somehow. I won’t be resetting again.


@freesf- what did they tell you the next steps were now?

Nov 14, 2023 8:10 AM in response to Steves_Bicycle

Hi there,


I have the same problem. I am unable to download Siri American Voice 1 (or any Voice # in any language). I am currently working with Apple, and I will share my progress.


Here is a list of things I have tried that have NOT worked so I can save you some time.


  • Tried to download the Voice 1 with a hardwired Ethernet connection, not Wifi. It didn't work.
  • Tried with the Macbook Pro starting in "Safe" mode. It didn't work.
  • Tried with a new User Account in the Macbook Pro. It didn't work.
  • Tried re-installing macOS 14.1.1 from the Recovery option. It didn't work.


I hope the above is helpful,


Aldo

Nov 14, 2023 11:00 AM in response to Attacker22

@Attacker22, thank you for the info.


Apple support should be getting back to me today (Tuesday, November 14).


A couple of notes to add to my comment above.


  • The issue is happening in two new M3 Macbook Pro 14"
  • The issue did not happen in a new Macbook Air M2


I doubt the issue is hardware-related, but still kind of interesting that it only happened in two new M3s.


Aldo

Nov 14, 2023 11:04 AM in response to Attacker22

Thanks for sharing. It’s very curious as to the reason why it’s happening. I was one of the few unlucky ones whose MacBook Pro shipped with a beta version of Ventura (which couldn’t then download Sonoma). Consequently, I had to wipe the drive then reinstall Ventura and then update to the latest version of Sonoma (as advised by their tech support). Not sure if during these steps led to the bug where Siri voices fail to download.

Apr 11, 2024 8:11 PM in response to Steves_Bicycle

This problem still exists on an M1 Max (MacBookPro18,2) on macOS 14.4. The voices try to download (entirely) but then the cloud / download button reappears. The voice is NOT ever selectable / usable. This is an extremely difficult problem to deal with and it appears Apple is entirely ignoring this issue in bug reports to them as well.


Not a peep from my having first reported it several months ago. Their developer support and feedback has gone down the toilet.

Unable to change Siri's voice on MacBook Pro

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