Where are the voice assistant settings?
The voice assistant is the only setting in the catalogue that is usually named after a character rather than a function. We read the settings tree of all 43 systems in the catalogue and recorded where each one keeps it.
What each system calls it
23 of the 43 operating systems in our catalogue have this setting, and between them they use seven different labels for it:
| Name on screen | Systems |
|---|---|
| Siri | 8 |
| Assistant | 7 |
| Google Assistant | 3 |
| Alexa | 2 |
| Cortana | 1 |
| Bixby | 1 |
| Voice Assistant | 1 |
The most common is Siri, on 8 of the 23. If that is not the word on your screen, the table above is the rest of the vocabulary to try.
Where it lives on each system
These are the shortest paths from the first settings screen on the newest release of each system. 14 of the 23 are within two taps; the rest sit deeper, and the table shows how much deeper.
| System | Path | Taps |
|---|---|---|
| Android Auto 11 | Google Assistant | 1 |
| Fire TV Vega OS | Alexa | 1 |
| tvOS 27 | Siri | 1 |
| visionOS 27 | Siri | 1 |
| watchOS 27 | Siri | 1 |
| Windows Phone 8.1 | Cortana | 1 |
| Google TV 14 | Device Preferences › Google Assistant | 2 |
| iOS 27.0 | Accessibility › Siri | 2 |
| iOS 6 6.1 | General › Siri | 2 |
| iPadOS 27.0 | Face ID & Passcode › Siri | 2 |
| macOS 27 Golden Gate | Control Center › Siri | 2 |
| One UI 9 | Advanced features › Bixby | 2 |
| Wear OS 7 | Google › Google Assistant | 2 |
| Zepp OS Zepp OS 6 | Connection › Alexa | 2 |
| ChromeOS 151 | Device › Keyboard and inputs › Assistant | 3 |
| Samsung Tizen TV Tizen 10 | General and Privacy › Voice (Bixby) › Voice Assistant | 3 |
| HarmonyOS 6.0 | Privacy › Permission manager › Microphone › Assistant | 4 |
| HyperOS 4.0 | Privacy protection › Authorization and revocation › Microphone › Assistant | 4 |
| KaiOS 3.0 | Privacy & Security › App permissions › Microphone › Assistant | 4 |
| LG webOS webOS 26 | General › AI Service › Voice Recognition › Assistant | 4 |
| Meta Quest v81 | Apps › App Permissions › Microphone › Assistant | 4 |
| OxygenOS 16 | Security and privacy › Permission manager › Microphone › Assistant | 4 |
| CarPlay 27 | Manage Cars › Steering Wheel Controls › Voice Control › Press and hold › Siri | 5 |
Each system name above opens the real menu in the simulator, so you can walk the path before you touch your own device.
Why the names came out this way
Every other entry in settings describes what it does. This one says Siri, or Alexa, or Bixby — a proper noun with no clue in it. If you have switched platforms, the assistant settings are reliably the hardest thing to find, because the word you learned on the old device does not exist on the new one.
The depth spread is the widest we measured for any single concept: on some systems the assistant is a first-screen entry, on others it is five levels down inside accessibility or search. That tells you how differently vendors rate its importance.
Find it on your own device
If your system is not in the table, or the label on your screen is different again, there are three ways through it:
- Search every system at once for a setting by name — it looks inside all 43 trees, not just the one you are holding.
- Open your own system in the settings simulator and click to the screen without changing anything real.
- Follow the step-by-step guide to managing notifications, or see where that setting lives on every system.
Related settings in the same part of the menu:
All of it comes from the same catalogue: 43 systems, 135 versions, published as an open dataset.
Try it yourself, on the real menusOpen any of 43 operating systems in your browser and walk the Settings tree exactly as it appears on the device. No download, no account.Frequently asked questions
Where are the voice assistant settings on most systems?
On 14 of the 23 systems that have it, within two taps of the first settings screen. The most common label is “Siri”, used by 8 of them. The table above gives the exact path for each system.
Why can I not find it by searching my settings?
Because settings search matches the label your system uses, and there are seven different labels in use for this one setting. Searching for the word your previous device used is the single most common reason a setting appears to be missing.
How many systems have this setting at all?
23 of the 43 operating systems we catalogue. The rest either have no hardware for it or fold the behaviour into something else, which is why a feature that feels universal often is not.