How to get your digital assistant to stop yelling at you in public

This article has been updated since its original publication on September 25, 2019.

Imagine this: it's Monday morning, you're catching the train, coffee in one hand, phone in the other. Needing a quick mood boost, you murmur, "Hey Google, show me cute puppy GIFs." Suddenly, your Google Assistant bellows the answer, much to the amusement (or annoyance) of fellow commuters. Awkward!

Or picture this: a family reunion descends into inevitable political debate. You discreetly check the traffic, planning your escape. But Alexa betrays you, announcing your departure plans to your entire family. Busted! Thanks, Alexa.

We've all become accustomed to using voice assistants, but public spaces aren't always ideal for loud responses. Fortunately, you can adjust your smart assistant's settings to provide silent, on-screen results.

Google Assistant

For Google Assistant on your phone, consider these alternatives to muting your device entirely:

• Type your requests: Launch the Assistant and tap the keyboard icon (Android and iOS). This allows silent, text-based interactions.
• Hands-free only (Android): Open the Assistant app, tap your profile picture, then navigate to Settings > Google Assistant > Assistant Voice & Sounds > Speech output > Phone. Select Hands-free only. The Assistant will only speak when using a hands-free headset.

Google Home speakers and Nest smart displays don't offer silent response options, but you can adjust the volume using physical buttons or the Google Home app (including Night mode on smart displays). Chromebook Assistant currently mirrors your input method; typing yields silent results, voice commands produce audible responses.

Siri

While Siri is typically voice-activated, typing is an option:

• Type to Siri (iOS & macOS): Enable this in iOS Settings > Accessibility > Siri or macOS System Preferences > Accessibility > Siri.

To control voice feedback:

• iOS: Settings > Siri & Search > Siri Responses allows choosing between "When Silent Mode is Off" or "Only with “Hey Siri”".
• macOS: System Preferences > Siri lets you select "Off" for Voice Feedback.

Apple Watch (Series 3 and later) offers "Control With Silent Mode" or "Headphones Only" options within Settings > Siri. The HomePod and HomePod mini currently lack silent response settings.

Alexa

Echo devices without displays can't disable voice responses, but you can adjust the volume. However, Alexa offers:

• Whisper Mode: Enable this via the Alexa app (Settings > Voice Responses) or by saying "Alexa, turn on whisper mode."
• Brief Mode: This reduces verbosity, often replacing spoken responses with sounds (Settings > Voice Responses).

Echo devices with displays have the same volume control options.

Cortana

Cortana's voice response options are limited. On Windows, muting your computer is the only effective method. While typing into the Windows search bar can yield some text-based responses, this uses Bing, not Cortana.

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