Siri off, privacy on
24 steps in four sections: turn off every Siri and Apple Intelligence feature, lock down iPhone privacy, secure your Apple Watch, then harden the rest. Tick each setting as you change it. Your progress is saved in this browser.
iPhone 17 Pro Max, iOS 27 / Apple Watch, watchOS 27
OFF turn this switch off
ON turn on or keep on
DELETE remove or erase
SET choose a value or tap
Each line is a path through the Settings app.
Settings › Siri › App Access means open Settings, tap Siri, then tap App Access. Parts in [brackets] mean repeat for each item.No steps match that filter. Clear the search box to see everything.
Keeping it this way
- After every iOS or watchOS update, spend two minutes checking Settings › Siri, Notifications, and Privacy & Security › Analytics & Improvements. Updates can add new AI features that are on by default.
- If a setup screen offers Siri or Siri AI after an update, choose Set up later or Not now.
- Once a month, open Privacy & Security › Apple Intelligence Report. No activity means everything is still off.
- When you install a new app, decline tracking, give location only While Using, and turn off its switches under Settings › Search.
- iOS 27 has no single switch that turns off all Apple Intelligence. The per-feature controls above, plus the Screen Time restriction in step 6, are the full set.
Where guides disagree
This checklist mostly follows the IntelTechniques iOS guide, with a few deliberate exceptions where the trade-off favors keeping protection on:
- Automatic updates stay on so security patches install quickly.
- Fraudulent Website Warning in Safari stays on to catch phishing pages.
- AutoFill and Passwords stay on unless you already use a separate password manager.
- Sensitive Content Warning is left to you. It runs on the device and sends nothing to Apple.
- Bluetooth stays on, because your Apple Watch needs it.
The App Privacy Report is also treated as a one-week review tool, since one guide turns it off and another recommends running it.