Customize Siri on Mac
When you turn on Siri, you can customize your Siri settings—for example, add it to the menu bar, choose how to activate it and how it sounds, and more.
Add Siri to the menu bar
Go to the System Settings app
on your Mac.
Click Menu Bar
in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
Below Menu Bar Controls, select Siri.
Turn on “Hey Siri” or “Siri” on Mac
If available for your device and language, you can choose to activate Siri by using “Hey Siri” or “Siri.”
Note: “Hey Siri” or “Siri” may not be available for your device, language, or region. To check whether “Hey Siri” or “Siri” is available, see the macOS Feature Availability website.
Go to the System Settings app
Click Siri in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
Click Requests, then choose the phrase you want to speak to start using Siri.
Follow the onscreen instructions to finish setting up “Hey Siri” or “Siri.”
Note: When “Siri” or “Hey Siri” is on and you turn on “Allow Siri when locked,” you can also use Siri even if your Mac is locked or in sleep.
Change Siri’s language
You can further customize Siri by choosing the language Siri uses.
Go to the System Settings app
Click Siri in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
Click Language, then choose an option.
Change Siri’s voice
You can further customize Siri by choosing the voice Siri uses.
Go to the System Settings app
Click Siri in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
Do any of the following:
Change the variation: Click Variation, then select an option.
Change the voice: Click Voice, then select an option.
Use Siri Expressive Voices* (Siri AI (Beta)** only): Click Voice, then adjust Voice, Pace, and Expressivity settings until they sound just right to you.
Note: Pace and Expressivity adjustments are currently available for American and British voices.
Change how Siri responds
You can choose to have Siri always respond silently or speak back when you provide voice input. You can also automatically send messages without Siri asking you to confirm and have Siri read messages in a different language.
Note: The options you see depend on the version of Siri you’re using.
Go to the System Settings app
on your Mac.
Click Siri in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
Click Responses, then do any of the following:
Have Siri respond aloud: Choose Prefer Spoken Responses. If Siri AI is turned on, choose Spoken Response.
Have Siri respond silently: Choose Prefer Silent Responses. If Siri AI is turned on, choose Silent Response.
See your request onscreen: Turn on Always Show Request.
Change Visual Intelligence settings
With Siri AI, you can use Visual Intelligence to search for items similar to those that appear in screenshots.
Go to the Settings app
Click Siri in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
Turn Automatic Visual Look Up on or off.
Customize apps Siri has access to
When you give Siri access to an app, Siri can find information and provide suggestions for what you might want to do next, even before you ask. For example, when you get an invitation in Mail, you’re asked if you want to add it to your calendar. Suggestions are on by default, but you can customize the apps Siri has access to at any time.
Note: Siri is designed to protect your privacy and keep you in control of your personal data by giving you control over what you share. To learn more, see the Search & Privacy website.
Go to the System Settings app
Click Siri in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
Click App Access.
Select an app, then do any of the following:
Allow Siri to learn how you use an app to make suggestions: Turn on “Learn from this application.”
Allow suggestions from this app to appear in Search, Look Up, and on the Lock Screen: Turn on “Show Siri Suggestions in application.”
To learn more about how Apple protects your information and lets you choose what you share, click About Improve Siri and Dictation & Privacy. Or see the Apple Privacy website.
If you’re the family organizer for a Family Sharing group, you can set up parental controls on your child’s device and restrict access to Siri & Dictation. See Change Intelligence & Siri settings in Screen Time.