Were you frustrated that the new Announce Messages with Siri feature on your iPhone or iPad running iOS 13.2 is not working?   

Well, you’re not alone. A number of users have reported having the same issue with their devices in the Apple Developers forum page.

This great new feature works in a way where Siri is able to read incoming notifications from your messaging apps. Siri will be reading you the message into a supported Apple audio device (AirPods, Powerbeats Pro, etc.). This is very convenient especially when you are driving or if you are in a situation where you can’t reach for your phone.

Anyways, in this guide, we will show you how to fix the Announce Messages with Siri feature on iOS 13.2 so that you can begin using this feature for yourself.

Let’s dive right in.

How to Fix Announce Messages with Siri Not Working on iOS 13.2: 8 Ways

1. Check your Device Compatibility

In every new application, you always have to check if your device is supported or compatible with it. As Apple announced this feature, they also stated that this feature will only work for certain devices together with 2nd Generation AirPods.

Here is the list of devices:

• iPhone 4s or later versions, 
• iPad Pro 
• iPad 3rd generation or later versions 
• iPad Air or later
• iPad mini or later
• iPod Touch (5th generation or later)

Although in the Apple Developer Forum, it was mentioned that this feature will also work with PowerBeats Pro. Probably because it uses the same Apple H1 Chip just like the 2nd Generation AirPods. The 3rd-party messaging app can also work with this feature as long as it is developed with SiriKit.

You must also remember that Voice Control utilizes the Siri speech recognition engine for U.S. English only. For now, there is no way that Siri can read other languages.

So there you have it. If you don’t use these supported devices, there is no other way for it to work. This new feature was developed exclusively for these devices, so make sure that you are using the supported devices.

If you have the compatible devices and this feature does not work, you can check out the next method below.

2. Connect to the Internet.

As also announced by Apple, this feature needs an internet connection. Probably because the Siri feature does not work without an internet connection. Maybe in the future, Apple developers might enable some features of Siri if you are offline. But for now, you just need to deal with the requirement.

So make sure that you are connected to the internet via your Wi-Fi or cellular data network to use announce messages with Siri. If it still does not work, you have to proceed to the next method.  

3. Enable the Application

A lot of users are confused about where to check the application settings for this feature. Some of them are checking the Siri and Search settings and found nothing related to the Announce Messages feature. Here’s how to access the settings and make sure that it is enabled:

1. Jump into your Settings app on your iPhone and then tap the Notifications option.
2. Search and tap Announce Messages.

3. Switch the button Announce Messages with Siri to enable. You can opt for Reply without Confirmation but we advise you to disable it. This option means that when you speak a reply text message, Siri will not read it back to you for confirmation.

4. Find and tap the Messages button at the bottom of the page.
5. Then choose what type of messages will you enable this feature. It could be favorites, recent contacts, all contacts or everyone who sends you a message.

Now that you have enabled the feature, you can now check if the feature is working. If not, you can proceed to the next step.

4. Restart your Device

The majority of applications will eventually lag if your device has been running for a very long time. This is due to the limited capacity of the device storage which can only support a certain limit of data. Once it reaches its full capacity, you will have to unload it by giving your device a restart.

According to Apple support, here’s how you can do it:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Choose and tap General.
3. Choose and tap Shut Down.

If you are unable to do this in your device, you can perform a force restart on your device. Here’s how you can do it: 

For iPhone X or later versions:

1. Press and hold the Side button together with either the Volume Up or Volume Down buttons until the power off slider appears.
2. Slide the power off button to turn off your device.
3. When your device is completely off, press and hold the Side button again until you see the Apple logo to start up the device.

For iPhone 8 or earlier versions, or iPod touch:

1. Press and hold the Top (or Side) button until the power off slider appears.
2. Slide the power off button to turn off your device.
3. When your device is completely off, press and hold the Top (or Side) button again until you see the Apple logo to start up the device.

For iPad with Face ID

1. Press and hold the Top button and either the Volume Up or Volume Down buttons until the power off slider appears.
2. Slide the power off button to turn off your device.
3. When your device is completely off, press and hold the Top button again until you see the Apple logo to start up the device.

For iPad with a Home button

1. Press and hold the Top (or Side) button until the power off slider appears.
2. Slide the power off button to turn off your device.
3. When your device is completely off, press and hold the Top (or Side) button again until you see the Apple logo to start up the device.

After the restart, your device has now offload data from your memory. You are now ready to start up the needed applications including the Announce Message with Siri feature. Make sure you are connected to the internet and It will be able to work properly now. But if after this process you still have the same issue, you can now proceed to the next method. 

5. Update to the Latest iOS Version

It is important that your devices are up to date. Simply because new features like this might not work or not enabled on lower versions of the device firmware or operating system. It is also very important that if ever there are bugs in the lower versions, you must obtain the fixes that are available in the new versions.

According to Apple support, here’s how you can do to update your device to the latest version:

1. First, it is very important to backup your phone using your iCloud or iTunes. Learn more about how to backup your device here. 
2. Make sure to plug in your device into power and connect to the Internet with Wi-Fi since the process could take a while.
3. Great. Let’s begin! Now open up your Settings app and then General.

2. Next, tap on Software Update.

3. If there are any iOS or iPadOS updates that are pending then simply tap Download and Install. If asked, enter your passcode. If you don’t know your passcode, learn what to do.

If you see an error message while trying to update your device wirelessly, learn what to do. If you need more space for a wireless update, you can update using iTunes or delete content manually from your device. Whether you use iTunes or update wirelessly, you’ll have the same amount of free space on your device after you update.

In the event that your iOS was corrupted during the update process, the only way to fix it is by restoring it to the default factory settings. Don’t worry, since you made a backup, restoring your files from iCloud or iTunes backup is possible. Learn more about how to restore device backup here.

Now that you have the iOS latest version installed, your Announce Messages with Siri feature should work properly now. But if you still experiencing the same issue, you should go ahead and proceed to the next step.

6. Renew your Bluetooth Pairing Settings

There is a possibility that your device connectivity details should be refreshed when you update your iOS. Settings like this sometimes get corrupted and need to be renewed. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Go to Settings, then tap on Bluetooth.
2. Look for your AirPods (or Powerbeats) device name in the Bluetooth list and tap on the blue i icon associated with it.
3. Find and tap on Forget This Device.

4. Tap Forget Device button at the bottom of the screen to confirm.

5. Tap on Forget Device option for the last confirmation that it will remove the said device on your iCloud account.
6. Place your AirPods (or Powerbeats Pro) in the charging case as shown below.

6. Press the Setup button (back) and hold it until the green light disappears on the case.

7. Check your device display for the pairing process and tap Connect.

8. Tap Announce Messages with Siri option to enable the feature.

9. Finally, Go to Settings, then Notifications, then tap on Announce Messages with Siri for additional settings (the same steps as under Method 3 above). You can opt for Reply without Confirmation but we advise you to disable it. You can also choose what type of messages Siri will read for you. It could be favorites, recent contacts, all contacts or everyone who sends you a message.

After this process, the Announce Messages with Siri feature on your device should work with no issues. So far, we have fixed all the possible issues within the device. But what if it still doesn’t work? The next step may be able to answer that question.

7. Contact Apple Support

In the announcement of Apple, it is quoted that “Siri feature may NOT be available in all languages or in all areas, and features may vary by area”. To confirm that the Siri feature is available in your area, you can ask Apple Support.

You can call them directly using the phone numbers provided. If ever you are not available to call them directly, you can email or chat with them. You can also check the option of support that is available in your country. 

Make sure that you tell the  Apple representative the troubleshooting steps you have done before you contact them. It will be helpful for them to not repeat the troubleshooting process and can save you time.

If they find your device to be defective, don’t hesitate to ask your replacement options and warranty. If they give you the location of the nearest Apple store for device replacement, that would be great. But if not, you can always check the nearest Apple store anytime you want and have it replaced there instead. Once you got a replacement device, make sure to test the Announce Messages with Siri option before you leave the store. 

8. File a Bug Report

If you are an advance Apple user, then this next procedure is for you. Especially if you are a member of the Apple Beta Software Program. As beta testers, you are the one evaluating the application for a good user experience. You can also suggest other features that might increase the efficiency of the app. 

In the event that Apple Support confirmed that your device is not defective, there is a great possibility that the application is buggy. If that happens, you can also file a bug report to the Apple Developers by joining the Apple Beta Software Program.

If you’re an Apple Developer, the process is much easier as you can do this by using the Feedback Assistant app for iOS and Mac or the Feedback Assistant website. For more information, you can contact the Apple Developer Support.

This wraps up our guide. We hope this has resolved the issue of your account. Feel free to go through the many tips and advice from the many helpful comments posted by others who had the same issue below.

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