Owen PalmerBy Owen Palmer

Updated November 2026

To turn off notification on AirPods, you change the announcement settings on your iPhone, not on the earbuds themselves. Most of the sounds you hear, like spoken message alerts and “AirPods connected” chimes, come from the paired device. Once you adjust a few toggles in Settings, the interruptions stop, and your audio stays clean.

Turn Off Announce Notifications in Settings

The most common source of spoken interruptions is Siri reading out your messages. Apple calls this feature Announce Notifications, and it can be disabled in a few taps.

Shopping for one? See our guide: AirPods Pro 3 Case Review: Features, Pros and Cons.

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Notifications, then scroll down to Announce Notifications.
  3. Switch the toggle off, or choose Only with AirPods if you want announcements in some cases but not others.

If you only want to silence announcements for specific apps, open Announce Notifications again and turn individual apps on or off. Messages and Phone are often the apps people want to keep silent.

Silence Siri Announcements and Connection Sounds

Siri can read notifications aloud even when Announce Notifications is off, depending on your Siri settings. You can also turn off the chime that plays when the earbuds connect or disconnect.

  • Go to Settings > Siri & Search and review any options related to announcing messages.
  • Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual to review sound-related options.
  • Check Settings > Bluetooth, tap the info icon next to your AirPods, and review the connection-related options listed there.

Menu names can shift slightly between iOS versions, so if a label looks different, search the Settings app for “announce” to find the right toggle quickly.

Adjust Notifications on Mac and iPad

If your AirPods also play alerts from a Mac or iPad, the settings live in different places. Apple’s Mac and iPad notification controls are separate from iPhone’s, so you need to change them on each device.

Device Where to look
iPhone Settings > Notifications > Announce Notifications
iPad Settings > Notifications, then review per-app alert settings
Mac System Settings > Notifications, then adjust alert styles and sounds

Owners often report that a notification keeps playing through AirPods even after changing iPhone settings. In those cases, check the other devices signed into the same Apple ID, since they may be sending the alert.

Troubleshoot When Notifications Keep Coming Back

If the sounds persist after you change every setting, the problem is usually a sync issue rather than a missing toggle. Restarting the connection often clears it.

  1. Disconnect the AirPods by forgetting the device under Bluetooth settings, then pair them again.
  2. Restart your iPhone.
  3. Confirm that Focus modes, like Do Not Disturb, are not overriding your preferences in a way you didn’t intend.

If you run into hardware problems alongside notification issues, such as one earbud behaving differently from the other, see the guide on Only One AirPods Is Working? How to Fix It in 7 Steps.

Common Mistakes

  • Changing settings on only one device when the alerts come from several Apple devices signed into the same account.
  • Turning off notifications for an app that you actually need, such as calls.
  • Forgetting that Focus modes can block alerts entirely, which can look like a notification problem.
  • Assuming the setting lives in Bluetooth menus when it is actually in the Notifications section.
  • Skipping a restart after changing settings, which can leave old behavior active for a while.

FAQ

Can I turn off notifications for only some apps on AirPods?

Yes. In Announce Notifications, you can switch individual apps on or off, so you can keep spoken alerts for calls while silencing messaging apps.

Why do I still hear Siri reading messages after I turn off announcements?

Siri settings are separate from Announce Notifications. Review the Siri & Search options on your iPhone to make sure message reading is disabled there too.

Do I need to change settings on the AirPods case or earbuds?

In most cases, no. The notification and announcement controls are on your connected Apple device, so changing them there is usually enough.

Conclusion

Turning off notification sounds on AirPods mostly comes down to the Announce Notifications toggle and related Siri settings on your iPhone. Check your Mac and iPad as well if they share the same Apple ID. If problems continue, reconnecting the earbuds and restarting your devices usually resolves them.

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Owen Palmer

About Owen Palmer

Owen Palmer is part of our editorial team and reviews and edits our brand headphones & noise cancelling guides, checking product details against manufacturer specifications and owner feedback.