With iOS 13 and iPadOS, you can get voice announcements from Siri for messages sent to you while you're wearing your AirPods. Right now, this feature only works for Messages, but Apple has said that it will work with third-party messaging apps as well with iOS 13 launches later this year.
With message announcements, you'll receive an audio notification in your AirPods or Powerbeats Pro when you receive a message. Siri will announce the sender, then read you their message. You'll be asked if you want to reply, after which you say "Tell them [your message]." You won't have to say "Hey Siri" to respond. As of right now, and keep in mind that this feature is still in beta, this feature only works with headphones with Apple's H1 wireless chip. First-generation AirPods don't seem to be supported at this time.
Here's how you manage your message announcements.
Apple occasionally offers updates to iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS as closed developer previews or public betas for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac (sadly, no public beta for the Apple Watch). While the betas contain new features, they also contain pre-release bugs that can prevent the normal use of your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac, and are not intended for everyday use on a primary device. That's why we strongly recommend staying away from developer previews unless you need them for software development, and using the public betas with caution. If you depend on your devices, wait for the final release.
How to turn on message announcements
- Put your AirPods in your ears.
- Connect your AirPods to your iPhone or iPad.
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Tap Announce Messages with Siri.
This is only necessary the first time you put in your AirPods when running iOS 13 or iPadOS 13 on your device. It does seem to be necessary each time you connect your AirPods to a device running either system.
How to turn off message announcements
- Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
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Tap Notifications.
- Tap Announce Messages with Siri.
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Tap the switch to turn them off.
How to manage Siri message announcements for a specific app
- Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap Notifications.
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Tap Announce Messages with Siri.
- Tap Messages.
- Tap the switch to turn message announcements for this specific app on or off.
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Tap to choose which kind of contact you get notifications for: Everyone, Recents, All Contacts, or your Favorites.
Great accessories for your iPhone or iPad
Apple AirPods 2 (From $159 at Apple)
The best Apple accessory has gotten betting with AirPods 2. Now offering a wireless charger case, the popular earbuds feature the new Apple H1 headphone chip that delivers a faster wireless connection to your devices, as well as support for "Hey Siri."
Powerbeats Pro ($250 at Apple)
If you want something a little more athletically-focused, or something that better isolates noise but still delivers quick pairing, "Hey Siri" support, and general ease of use like the AirPods, check out the Powerbeats Pro, which also feature Apple's H1 wireless chip.
Questions?
If you have any questions about message announcements in iOS 13 and iPadOS 13, let us know in the comments.
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