What Happens If You Tell Siri To Self Destruct? Complete Guide

If you’re curious about what happens if you tell Siri to self destruct then this post is just for you!

There are a lot of rumors about the Siri “self-destruct” feature and the danger that comes with it.

Many users justify that much of their data has been permanently lost after telling Siri to self-destruct, but we’re about to disappoint you.

When you tell Siri to self-destruct, regardless of the iOS version your device is running, nothing much will happen. In most cases, you’ll receive a silly response such as a simple “OK” or a countdown timer, after which, nothing happens.

Before you test the phrase yourself and ensure that there is nothing to worry about, we highly suggest reading the entire guide to learn everything there is.

What Happens If You Tell Siri To Self Destruct?

The Siri voice assistant is available on all Apple products. There is a hot question that many users have asked themselves for the time being:

“-What happens if I tell Siri to self-destruct”?

Siri is certainly programmed to execute this command, but Apple has thought of that and made sure to prevent the curiosity of their users to impact their devices.

In general, there is no command of existence in Siri’s dictionary that can actually delete something from your phone without a confirmation.

Even if you ask Siri to delete a reminder or a note, the voice assistant will respond with “Sorry I can’t help with that”.

In other words, you can’t delete anything using Siri.

Tip: For a piece of mind, do not attempt the “self-destruct” before reading the entire guide!

About Siri “Self Destruct”…

Even if you really want to try it out, there is nothing to worry about. Nothing much will happen besides receiving a quite surprising answer.

As we’ve mentioned earlier, Siri doesn’t have anything to respond to commands of this kind and in most cases will simply say “OK”.

With the new iOS 15, some snarky comments may be included, which may also include a countdown to the artificial “self-destruction” that won’t happen.

Many users like to lie that this command would actually do something to your Siri or Apple product, just to joke around with the Apple community.

The main conception of Siri is to be responsive and interactive as possible for the user in regard to resourcefulness.

Although it may seem audible that the “Self Destruct” command will do anything, the reality is different.

Note: There is no need to worry if you told Siri to self-destruct and the response was “OK”.

How To Test The Siri Self Destruct?

Regardless of the iOS version that your iPhone or Apple device has installed, you can always attempt the “Self Destruct” phrase and determine if it would “do anything”.

As we’ve mentioned earlier, you’re completely safe from any harm and in most cases, Siri will simply respond with a harsh “OK”.

To test the self-destruct sequence with Siri, do the following:

1. Hold the HOME button on your Apple device.
2. Wait for Siri globe to appear on your screen.
3. Say “Hey Siri”.
4. Say “Siri, Self Destruct”.

Based on your device’s load time, it should take a couple of seconds for Siri to accept the command and therefore deliver your answer.

Note: With the latest iOS versions, upon saying a self-destruct, Siri may produce a 5 seconds countdown timer, which won’t do anything.

Can Siri “Self Destruct” Delete Data?

Many of the users anticipate that upon saying “Siri, self destruct”, the assistant will practically delete something from your phone or automatically disable itself.

The truth is that none of your data will be in danger.

Although Siri can generate data, such as alarms, schedules, or even timers, by telling Siri to self-destruct, none of your data can get erased, changed, or deleted somehow.

In that regard, test the self-destruct sequence as much as you want, but nothing will happen to your phone.

Info: There are no proven cases in which Siri “self-destruct” actually erased data.

How To Stop Siri After Saying “Self Destruct”?

Although there is no danger for your phone whatsoever after pronouncing “Self Destruct” to Siri, you may still want to interrupt the assistant halfway into the command.

To interrupt Siri after saying “Self-Destruct” or any other command in general, it’s enough to tap on the display once.

This will immediately prevent the assistant from proceeding to the execution of the command you’ve announced.

Is There A Specific Spot To Press?

No. There are no preferences towards the spot on your Apple device’s screen where you will press to prevent any command from being executed.

Any prompt that Siri enters you will appear in the form of a window on your Apple device’s screen and you should press any spot on that window to cancel the command.

Now that you’re aware of what happens if you tell Siri to self-destruct, it’s time to learn where all of the rumors about this command come from.

If you didn’t know, there is an alternative way to get your Apple device’ software to self-destruct upon someone stealing your device.

Note: You can also stop Siri from self-destructing by locking your phone with the power button.

How To Actually Get Siri To Self Destruct?

Although it’s impossible to get Siri to self-destruct upon pronouncing the command, there’s a way to instruct Siri to self-destruct upon 10 failed passcode attempts.

This is a useful way to preserve your data when your Apple device gets stolen, and the thief attempts to log into your account.

How To Enable “Erase Data” Option?

The option that must be enabled for Siri to erase all of your data is labeled “Erase Data” in the settings of the device.

We will now instruct you on how to navigate to that feature and enable it:

1. On your Apple device, go to Settings.
2. In the main tab, press “Face ID & Passcode”.
3. Enter your 4-digit or 6-digit password.
4. In the next tab, scroll all the way down.
5. Locate the “Erase Data” option.
6. Hit the slider once to enable the feature.

IMPORTANT: If you fail to enter your passcode 10 times, the iPhone will automatically erase all of your data.

If you tell Siri to self-destruct, you will most likely hear “OK” as a response and then nothing will happen to your device. After telling Siri to “self-destruct” absolutely no data will be deleted, instead, sometimes you might receive a silly response.

Read Next: How To Get Siri To Talk When Plugging In Charger?

Bottom Line:

Now that you know exactly what happens if you tell Siri to self destruct you should be aware that this phrase is a complete joke and all the rumors are false.

The so-called “trolls” on the internet might say whatever they want in regard to the “self-destruct” phrase but if you have an Apple device you can prove them wrong anytime.

We hope that this post provided you with a piece of mind and some relieve, and if you have other inquiries about Siri functionality, make sure to check our online blog!