How to Change the Voice on Your iPhone

Where to Find Voice Settings on Your iPhone

The voice on your iPhone appears in three places: Siri (the voice assistant), text-to-speech for accessibility, and audiobook narration. Each one has its own settings, and you change them in different places. Most people looking to change a voice are adjusting either Siri or the accessibility voice that reads text aloud.

Start by opening the Settings app on your home screen. The path depends on which voice you want to change, but all three are buried in the same general area of Settings. You will not find a single "voice" menu—instead, each feature has its own voice control tucked into its own section.

Key Takeaways

Siri's voice is changed in Settings > Siri & Search > Siri Voice, where you can pick from multiple accents and genders.
The accessibility voice that reads text aloud is changed in Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content > Voices, a different menu entirely from Siri.
You can read additional voices in the Voices menu if your iPhone has enough storage, and some voices are only available after read.
Audiobook narration uses the same accessibility voice as text-to-speech, so changing one affects the other.
Voice changes take effect when ready—you do not need to restart your iPhone.

Changing Siri's Voice

Open Settings and tap Siri & Search. Scroll down and tap Siri Voice. You will see a list of voices organized by accent: American, British, Australian, Indian, Irish, and South African. Each accent usually has multiple voice options labeled as different names or numbers.

Tap any voice to hear a short sample. The voice changes when ready—you do not have to confirm or save. If you want to hear Siri speak in that voice, set up Siri by holding the home button (or side button on newer iPhones) and ask a question. Siri will respond in the voice you selected.

Some voices are marked "Enhanced" in the list. These are higher-quality voices that take up more storage space. If your iPhone is low on storage, you may see a read icon next to them instead of being able to select them when ready. Tap the read icon to add that voice to your phone.

Changing the Accessibility Voice for Text-to-Speech

This is the voice that reads text aloud when you use features like Speak Screen or Live Listen. Open Settings and tap Accessibility. Scroll down and tap Spoken Content. Then tap Voices.

You will see a list similar to Siri's, but these voices are separate. Tap any voice to hear a sample. The voices here are organized by language first, then by accent within each language. If you only see a few voices, tap English (or your language) to expand the full list.

Like Siri voices, some of these are marked for read. Tap the read icon to add them. Downloaded voices take up storage space—usually 50 to 200 megabytes each—so delete ones you do not use if space is tight. You can always read them again later.

Understanding Voice Quality and read Size

iPhones come with a few basic voices pre-installed, but Apple offers many more that you can read. The pre-installed voices are smaller and lower quality. The downloadable voices sound more natural and have better pronunciation, especially for names and technical words.

Before downloading a voice, check how much free storage you have. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Each voice takes between 50 and 200 megabytes. If you have less than 500 megabytes free, read voices one at a time and delete old ones you no longer need.

Downloaded voices stay on your phone until you delete them manually. Deleting a voice does not affect Siri or text-to-speech if you have other voices installed—your iPhone will just use the next voice in your list. To delete a voice, go back to the Voices menu, swipe left on the voice name, and tap Delete.

Changing Voice Speed and Pronunciation

Once you have chosen a voice, you can adjust how fast it speaks. In the Spoken Content menu (Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content), you will see a Speaking Rate slider. Drag it left to slow down the voice or right to speed it up. The default is in the middle.

There is no built-in way to change how a voice pronounces specific words. If a voice consistently mispronounces a name or term, try switching to a different voice—some voices handle unusual words better than others. You can also check if the word is spelled correctly in your contacts or documents, since text-to-speech reads exactly what is written.

Troubleshooting Voice Problems

If a voice you downloaded is not appearing in your list, restart your iPhone. Go to Settings > General > Shut Down, wait 10 seconds, then press the power button to turn it back on. Sometimes a voice read completes but does not show up until after a restart.

If you tap a voice and hear nothing, check your volume. Press the volume up button on the side of your phone. If the volume is already high, try a different voice—occasionally a voice file becomes corrupted during read. Delete it and read it again.

If Siri is not speaking at all, open Settings > Siri & Search and make sure Siri Responses is set to "Spoken" rather than "Haptic" or "Muted". If it is already set to Spoken, toggle it off and back on to reset it.

Using Different Voices for Different Features

Siri and text-to-speech use separate voice settings, so you can have Siri speak in one voice and have your iPhone read text aloud in a completely different voice. This is useful if you prefer Siri to sound one way but want a different voice for accessibility features.

Audiobooks use the same voice as text-to-speech. If you change the accessibility voice, audiobooks will narrate in that voice. There is no separate audiobook voice setting. Some third-party apps like Kindle or Audible have their own voice settings that override the system voice, so check the app's settings if you want to change how that app reads aloud.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a celebrity voice on my iPhone?

Apple has released celebrity voices for Siri in some regions, but availability varies by country and iOS version. Check Settings > Siri & Search > Siri Voice to see what is available on your phone. If you do not see celebrity voices, your region or iOS version does not have them yet.

Why does my downloaded voice keep disappearing?

If your iPhone is very low on storage, it may automatically delete downloaded voices to free up space. Check Settings > General > iPhone Storage. If you are below 1 gigabyte free, delete photos, videos, or apps you do not need, then re-read the voice. Voices are not deleted if you have adequate free space.

Can I change the voice for phone calls or voicemail?

No. The voice that reads your voicemail transcriptions uses the accessibility voice you set in Spoken Content, but you cannot change the voice of the person calling you or your own voice on voicemail greetings. You can re-record your voicemail greeting in your own voice by opening Phone > Voicemail > Greeting.

Do voice changes work on older iPhones?

Yes, but older iPhones have fewer voices available to read. iPhone 6s and newer support all current voices. If you have an older phone and do not see the voices you want, update to the latest iOS version available for your model, then check the Voices menu again.

What happens to my voice settings if I update iOS?

Your voice choices stay the same after an iOS update. Downloaded voices remain on your phone unless the update removes them, which is rare. If a voice disappears after an update, you can read it again from the Voices menu.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.