"Siri Unavailable" error when using Cmd + Shift + 6, but other Siri features work

Question

Level 1

6 points

"Siri Unavailable" error when using Cmd + Shift + 6, but other Siri features work

I am experiencing a persistent issue with Siri on the latest version of macOS. When I use the keyboard shortcut (Cmd + Shift + 6), I receive an error pop-up stating: "Siri Unavailable. Unable to connect to Siri. Try again later."

Interestingly, Siri works perfectly fine through other methods, such as the menu bar or chat. The issue only occurs when using the keyboard shortcut.

Here are the troubleshooting steps I have already taken:

Restarted my Mac
Verified my internet connection is stable
Toggled Siri off and on in System Settings

Despite these steps, the problem persists. Has anyone else experienced this, or does anyone know how to fix it?

Mac mini, macOS 27.0

Posted on Sep 28, 2026 6:04 AM

Answer 1

Niteline

Level 1

26 points

Sep 29, 2026 6:33 PM in response to RanitManik

Hello,

I managed to fix this problem after many hours. I hope it works for you too.

The issue lies in the "~Library/Photos" folder. I noticed that Cmd+Shift+6 and Siri work normally on a clean user profile. I started deleting folders in "Library" on that profile that could have something to do with it, and bingo.

How did I fix the problem? I don't fully know :) but first, make a backup, preferably using Time Machine.

I tried copying the "Photos" folder from the clean profile, but as I expected, that didn't work.

Ultimately, I deleted the "~/Library/Photos" folder and then restored it from the backup, and suddenly Siri came back to life.

Answer 2

RanitManik Author

Level 1

6 points

Sep 29, 2026 11:53 PM in response to RanitManik

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share that this "Siri Unavailable" issue (when using Cmd + Shift + 6) was resolved for me after updating to the latest macOS 27.0.1.

If you are still experiencing this problem, it might be worth trying the update before manually deleting or restoring any Library folders to see if it works for you, too.

Answer 3

Oct 29, 2026 4:12 PM in response to RanitManik

I thought I figured this out, but no. Worth sharing though.

I noticed clicking Siri in the menu bar didn't bring up the error, but my keyboard shortcut for Spotlight was. I went into the Keyboard Shortcut settings and noticed a conflict with what I had specified for opening Spotlight conflicted with another Siri keyboard shortcut. When I removed that I no longer get the error. But I can't seem to get the same results with Shift CMD 6 or the other ones. Maybe I have some apps conflicting with those commands?

Answer 4

i90rr

Level 1

9 points

Nov 9, 2026 2:19 AM in response to RanitManik

It works on my mini M4 Pro but not on my MBA M4. Which is weird because both machines run the same OS (27.2) and they share pretty much the same software stack, with the same apps running in the background, same system permissions, and so on and so forth.