Siri Says One Sec Working on That? Here are the solutions

By Dave Johnson - Executive Editor
4 Min Read

Is Siri saying one sec, working on that? Here are some fixes to get Siri responding to you again.

Does Siri say one moment when you ask it for something? That’s probably not because the apple’s digital Assistant is unhappy with you, but rather because there’s an issue on your device. There are many reasons why Siri won’t work on your iPhone.

The issue of Siri saying “one sec, working on that” is not new as it has existed on almost all iPhone models. The issue has affected many iPhone models, including iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, XS Max, iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone SE.

why does siri say one sec, working on that?

There could be many reasons why Siri says “one sec, working on that.” From what I can tell based on my personal experience, it’s the occasional software glitches that cause the problem. Besides, Apple’s servers might be having problems, or your internet connection may be down. Thankfully, there are many solutions when you experience issues with Siri. Depending on what the problem is, one of the following methods can help you fix Siri and get it working on your iPhone again.

Fix Siri says one sec, working on that issue

1. Toggle Airplane Mode

Sometimes, all you need to do when Siri says one sec is to turn on and off Airplane mode. Doing so will cut off your phone from the mobile network and can fix the problem alongside it. You can do this by following the steps below:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Turn on Airplane Mode,
  3. wait for 30 seconds, then turn it off,

wait for your networks to reconnect, and then check if Siri is working.

2. Restart your iPhone

Smartphones sometimes glitch out, including iPhones. If Siri says one sec after trying the troubleshooting step above, there’s a chance that rebooting your iPhone will force a necessary software process to kick into gear.

If you have a model without a home button, like the iPhone 14, you can restart by holding down the side and volume-up buttons until you see the power-off slider. Swipe it, then once your iPhone is completely powered down, press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.

The process is virtually identical on products with a home button, such as the iPhone SE. The only difference is that you have to hold a single button — the side/power button — to make the power-off slider appear.

3. Check your internet connection

If Siri says one sec, working on that, your internet connection may be faulty. Siri relies heavily on internet, after all. You can’t use Siri to perform certain tasks offline, so you must ensure your internet is working.

An easy way to check if the internet is operational is by performing any other internet-based tasks using the same device. It could be something as simple as launching a browser and doing a Google search. Those using Wi-Fi should also try using another device and ensure the network is alive.

A good solution for a faulty Wi-Fi network is a simple router restart. There’s usually a dedicated button for rebooting the router, but simply unplugging and plugging the device back in works too.

If you’re using cellular data, you may want to check your plan. Some mobile data plans have limitations and throttles. If your cellular data is throttled, it may explain why Siri says one sec . Look into your plan’s terms and see if you’ve used more data than you should. You might be capped or throttled. Also, consider the fact you may be late on your payment. Even the best of us forget about bills sometimes. Not to mention sometimes cards get declined for no apparent reason.

Are you out in the middle of nature? Maybe you’re in a concrete building. Or you’re simply going through a location with spotty reception. There is always a chance you’re unreachable to the network, which will cause problems with your mobile data.

Also, consider that, while rare, carrier networks can go down too, causing service outages. We recommend DownDetector.com to check when services are down. The website collects consumer reports and lets you know if there is an outage. There’s also a live map to see if the problem is local. Go in there, type in your Carrier, and hit the search button. If the network is down, all you can do is wait.

4. Are Siri servers down?

As hard as it is to believe, sometimes Siri servers go down too. It’s a rare occurrence, but it can happen, so you should definitely check if Siri’s servers are having problems.

Go to Apple System Status Site and take a look if there are any reported issues with Siri. This page will show if the Siri service is working or not. If the page shows that the service is having issues there is little you can do to address this issue. The only thing you can do is to wait for Apple to fix it.

5. Check your date and time settings

It may seem like a cliché fix, but incorrect date and time settings could be the reason why Siri says one moment. This could be due to Apple’s servers having trouble syncing with your date and time settings. . The easiest way to solve this is to make your iPhone automatically set its date and time so that it’s always correct. Follow the steps below:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Select Date & time.
  4. Toggle the Set automatically toggle to get your time from the internet.

6. Disable VPN

Plenty of users have reported that Siri says one sec, working on that when a VPN is enabled. Have you tried deactivating these (if you are using them)? If you’re using a VPN app, you can go into the app and turn off your secure connection. If you added the VPN manually, you can follow the steps below to deactivate it:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Select VPN & Device Management
  4. Deactivate any active VPN.

7. Reset Network Settings

If Siri is still saying one moment after trying the above fixes, you may need to reset the network settings completely. Resetting your Network Settings won’t delete any apps or personal data. It will simply clear out glitches that could be causing Siri problem. You can do this by following the steps below:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Select General.
  3. Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
  4. Choose Reset.
  5. Choose Reset Network Settings.

Siri says one sec, working on that? Problem Fixed!

If you heavily rely on Siri for your tasks, it’s extremely frustrating to find that it’s not working. Fortunately, using some of the methods above, you can bring the digital assistant back into action on your iPhone without much trouble.

See also: Siri Says Something Went Wrong? Here’s how to fix it

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By Dave Johnson Executive Editor
Dave Johnson is the editor-in-chief of GeeksModo. He covers news, how-tos, and user guides for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.
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