How to stop your iPhone announcing caller names

Turn off spoken caller names

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Open Siri, or Apple Intelligence & Siri if that is the label shown.
3. Tap Announce Calls, then choose Never.

This route is documented for iOS 26. Older instructions may place Announce Calls under Phone settings. If your menu differs, search Settings for Announce Calls rather than changing an unrelated notification control. We have not verified the menu on every iOS release.

Ask someone to make a normal phone call after the change. Test with the headphones or car connection you normally use, then once without that accessory. This comparison helps identify where an announcement is coming from; it is a suggested test, not a test we performed on your device.

Keep your ringtone, or choose a different sound

Changing the announcement setting does not require removing an installed tone. To choose your call sound, open Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Ringtone and select it. For one person, open Contacts → their name → Edit → Ringtone. A contact-specific sound is separate from the default.

Want a ready-made sound? Open Ringy, choose a ringtone and follow the app’s export instructions. If you already have a suitable audio file, the iPhone ringtone setup guide explains the Files share-sheet route on iOS 26 and the GarageBand alternative. You can finish turning off announcements without installing another app.

Calls and message announcements use different controls

Announce Calls identifies incoming phone or FaceTime callers. Announce Notifications covers spoken notifications from supported apps. If Siri is reading messages rather than identifying an incoming caller, review Announce Notifications in Siri settings and the relevant app’s options. Changing a text tone does not configure those spoken announcements.

What if AirPods or a car still speak?

Apple supports announcements with compatible headphones and CarPlay, but that does not establish identical behavior for every Bluetooth accessory. If speech continues after you choose Never, note whether it occurs only through one accessory or only with one calling app. Check that accessory or app’s own instructions before resetting phone settings.

A different chime in your headphones is another issue: some headsets produce their own incoming-call sound. Our Bluetooth ringtone guide separates the alert you hear before answering from conversation and music audio.

If your phone is now quiet

Turning off caller announcements is not a guarantee that calls will be audible. Check the selected ringtone, ringtone volume, Silent mode and the active Focus. Follow missing or silent ringtone checks if the tone still does not play. For a deliberate exception for one person, see letting one contact ring through Silent mode.

To restore caller announcements later, return to Announce Calls and choose the option appropriate to when you want them. You do not need to change your sound library.

Related guides

• How to change your iPhone ringtone or set a song
• Ringtone not playing through Bluetooth headphones? What to check
• Set a different ringtone for one contact