Well, isn’t this neat? Apple modified the way “Siri” was spoken during its keynote, to stop your iPhone from listening

Apple spent a big chunk of its WWDC 2026 keynote talking about its revamped Siri AI assistant. Ironically, it seems that it was also working hard behind the scenes to stop Siri from paying attention on your iPhone.

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According to observations shared online and highlighted by MacRumors, Apple appears to have modified the audio track of its WWDC presentation whenever the word “Siri” was spoken. Spectrogram images posted on X appear to show several frequency bands – specifically around 3kHz, 4kHz, 5kHz, and 6kHz – being removed at the exact moments Siri was mentioned.

The apparent goal was to prevent nearby iPhones, iPads, Macs, HomePods, and other Apple devices from accidentally waking up while viewers watched the keynote.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because Amazon was reported to have used a similar technique years ago in TV adverts featuring Alexa. The idea is to stop millions of smart speakers suddenly springing into action every time an advert airs. Despite the efforts though, multiple viewers still reported that their devices responded during the keynote. Ah well, can’t win ‘em all.

Elsewhere, Apple was busy doing typical Apple things, like showing off a whole host of new iOS 27 features, giving AirPods users EQ control, and more.

This is all, by the way, not even including the expected September launch of the iPhone 18 Pro range, and the folding iPhone Ultra. Needless to say, it’s been a very busy year for Apple fans…

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Esat Dedezade Contributor

About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.