How to listen and respond to incoming notifications with AirPods and Beats headphones on Apple Watch

Siri can read out incoming notifications from many apps without having to unlock your iPhone when you’re using supported AirPods and Beats headphones. Siri avoids interrupting you and listens after reading notifications so you can reply without saying “Hey Siri.”

You can choose the apps that are allowed to announce notifications, and temporarily turn the feature off. Siri can also read your unread notifications in Notification Center through the Apple Watch speaker.

Turn on Announce Notifications

1. Put your paired headphones in or on your ears, depending on the kind of headphones you have.
2. Pair them with Apple Watch.
3. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
4. Go to Siri and tap Announce Notifications. Turn on Announce Notifications.

You can also go to the Settings app on your iPhone, go to Notifications > Announce Notifications, then turn on Announce Notifications.

Quick tip: To hear your unread notifications from Notification Center, just say “Read my notifications.” Siri reads them through the Apple Watch speaker or Bluetooth headphones.

Choose apps for notifications

You can choose the apps that are allowed to announce notifications.

1. Put your paired headphones in or on your ears, depending on the kind of headphones you have.
2. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
3. Go to Siri, tap Announce Notifications, scroll down, and then tap the apps you want audio notifications from.

Temporarily turn off Announce Notifications

1. Press the side button to open Control Center.
2. Tap the Announce Notifications button.

   Tap the Announce Notifications button again to turn it on.

Note: The Announce Notifications button is disabled when you remove AirPods.

Reply to a message

Say something like “Reply that’s great news.”

Siri repeats what you said, then asks for confirmation before sending your reply. (To send replies without waiting for confirmation, go to the Settings app on your Apple Watch, go to Siri > Announce Notifications, scroll to the bottom, then turn on Reply without Confirmation.)

Stop Siri from reading a notification

You can stop Siri from reading a notification in any of these ways:

• Say something like “Stop” or “Cancel.”
• Press the Digital Crown (AirPods Max).

  Note: While listening to a notification, you can turn the Digital Crown to change the volume.

• Press either Force Sensor (AirPods Pro and AirPods 3).
• Double-tap either of your AirPods 2.
• Remove one of your AirPods (AirPods Pro, AirPods 2, and AirPods 3).

If you didn’t turn on Announce Notifications when you set up your AirPods, go to the Settings app on your Apple Watch, go to Siri > Announce Notifications, then turn on Announce Notifications.

See also

• How to use Siri on Apple Watch