iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2 have resolved a previously unknown privacy issue with Siri voice recordings being uploaded to Apple’s servers even when you opted out.
- A previously unknown bug in iOS 15.2 has prevented some iPhone customers from opting out of having their Siri voice recordings uploaded to Apple’s servers.
- Even if you opted out, your iPhone would still share your Siri voice interactions and dictation recordings with Apple for product improvement purposes.
- In a nutshell, the inadvertent error was causing the Improve Siri & Dictation setting on iPhone and iPad to work improperly for “many” Siri users, according to Apple.
- Apple has now officially confirmed that iOS 15.2 squishes that inadvertent bug.
Apple fixes Siri voice recordings uploading even if you opt-out
Apple has acknowledged that its iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2 software updates suffered from a previously unknown issue where turning off the setting to upload your Siri voice recordings and dictation recordings to Apple’s servers wouldn’t work as expected.
For “many” Siri users, Apple has said, the toggle wouldn’t work. The device would keep uploading a user’s Siri voice recordings even if they opted out by turning off the “Improve Siri & Dictation” switch in Settings → General → Privacy → Analytics & Improvements.
The company said in a statement to ZDNet:
With iOS 15.2, we turned off the Improve Siri & Dictation setting for many Siri users while we fixed a bug introduced with iOS 15. This bug inadvertently enabled the setting for a small portion of devices. Since identifying the bug, we stopped reviewing and are deleting audio received from all affected devices.
The bug was reportedly fixed in iOS 15.2.
Apple has not reached out to users who were affected to inform them of the issue, ZDNet reports. However, the iPhone maker went on the record saying it deleted recordings that were inadvertently uploaded. Apple’s teams also did stop reviewing and grading Siri audio recordings that were mistakenly uploaded by affected iPhones and iPads.
If your iPhone is running iOS 15.2 or later, you’re not affected by this problem. To check the version of the iOS operating system software running on your device, go to Settings → General → About. Read: How to stop sharing your Siri voice recordings with Apple
When updating your iPhone to iOS 15.2, which launched in December 2021, a splash screen asks whether you might want to share your Siri audio recordings with Apple. This step is also part of the regular iOS setup procedure (the setting is disabled by default).