How to Stop Messages Reading Through Headphones
It is Announce Notifications on iOS, enabled by default when you pair. Here is where to switch it off on both platforms and why it comes back.
On an iPhone, go to Settings, Notifications, Announce Notifications and turn off the Headphones toggle. That is the feature reading your messages aloud, and it switches on by default when you pair AirPods or Beats. On Android the equivalent is the Assistant reading notifications, turned off in the Google app under Assistant, Devices, then your headphones.
It catches almost everyone the first time they pair a new pair of earbuds, and the setting is not where people look for it.
Turning it off on an iPhone
- Open Settings, then Notifications.
- Tap Announce Notifications, near the top.
- Turn the main toggle off to stop it entirely, or leave it on and turn off Headphones underneath to keep it for CarPlay only.
Below that there is a per app list, so you can silence Messages while keeping, for example, navigation or reminders. Tap any app to control it individually.
There is also a Reply Without Confirmation option, which sends a dictated reply immediately rather than reading it back first. Worth checking while you are in there, since it is the setting behind most accidental sends.
A faster temporary route: when Siri announces something, saying “turn off announce notifications” switches it off there and then.
Turning it off on Android
The equivalent lives under the Google Assistant rather than the system notification settings, which is why it is hard to find.
Open the Google app, tap your profile picture, then Settings, then Google Assistant. Find Devices, select your headphones, and turn off Get notifications or Spoken notifications depending on the version.
Samsung devices add their own layer. Under Settings, Accessibility, Advanced settings, look for Bixby or spoken notification options, and check the Galaxy Wearable app if you are using Galaxy Buds.
Manufacturer skins vary considerably here, so if neither location has it, search the Settings app for “notifications” or “spoken” and look for anything referencing your headphones by name.
Stopping it per app instead
If the announcements are useful and Messages specifically is not, you do not need to switch the whole feature off.
On iPhone, under Announce Notifications, scroll to the app list and turn off Messages while leaving others on.
On Android, per app control usually lives in the app’s own notification settings rather than in the Assistant.
A third option on iPhone is a Focus mode. Set up a Focus that silences Messages notifications entirely and announcements stop along with them, which suits people who want quiet during specific hours rather than permanently.
Why it turns itself back on
Several situations re enable it and it feels like the setting is not sticking.
A new pair of headphones. The toggle applies per device category rather than per device on some iOS versions, and pairing something new can re enable it.
A major iOS or Android update, which occasionally resets notification preferences.
Signing into a new device with the same account, where settings sync across.
Setting up a new phone from a backup, where some notification settings do not carry over.
If it keeps returning, check whether Siri or the Assistant has a separate spoken responses setting enabled, since that is a different control that can produce similar behavior.
The related settings worth knowing
Siri spoken responses, under Settings, Siri and Search, Siri Responses. Set to Prefer Silent Responses if you want Siri to stop talking generally without disabling announcements.
Headphone Safety, under Settings, Sounds and Haptics, which caps output volume. Worth knowing about because it is enabled by accident regularly and is a common cause of headphones sounding quiet. Our guide on why headphones sound quiet covers it.
Automatic switching, under Bluetooth, tap the information icon beside AirPods or Beats. This moves the headphones between Apple devices and is the reason a Mac sometimes goes silent when a phone becomes active.
Live Listen and Conversation Boost, which are accessibility features that change what the headphones pass through and are occasionally enabled unintentionally.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop my headphones reading my text messages?
On an iPhone, open Settings, Notifications, Announce Notifications and turn off the Headphones toggle, or the main toggle to stop it entirely. On Android, open the Google app, go to Settings, Google Assistant, Devices, select your headphones and turn off spoken notifications. Samsung devices may also have a Bixby setting under Accessibility.
Why did my AirPods start reading messages aloud?
Because Announce Notifications is enabled by default for headphones on iOS, so pairing a new set of AirPods or Beats switches it on. It reads incoming messages when you are not actively using the phone. Turning off the Headphones toggle under Settings, Notifications, Announce Notifications stops it while leaving CarPlay announcements intact.
Can I keep announcements for some apps and not others?
Yes on iPhone. Under Settings, Notifications, Announce Notifications there is a per app list below the main toggles, so you can turn off Messages while leaving navigation or reminders enabled. On Android the per app control usually sits in each app’s own notification settings rather than in the Assistant.
Why does the setting keep turning itself back on?
Usually because you paired a new set of headphones, updated the operating system, or set up a phone from a backup, all of which can reset notification preferences. Signing into a new device with the same account can also sync it back on. If it persists, check whether Siri or the Assistant has a separate spoken responses setting enabled.