Apple reveals small number of users had Siri recordings kept inadvertently

“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.”

What you need to know

Apple lets users opt-out of improving Siri by allowing the company to review recordings of their voice interactions.
Apple says a bug in iOS 15 inadvertently enabled the Improve Siri & Dictation setting for a small portion of devices.
It means their audio was kept and reviewed without their permission.

Apple has revealed that it has recently fixed a bug that inadvertently led to a small portion of users having their Siri audio recordings kept and reviewed by the company.

ZDNet reports a change to the latest iOS 15.4 beta which will ask users if they want to opt-in to helping Apple improve Siri and dictation by allowing Apple to review the recordings. This is because Apple has revealed that it had to fix a bug introduced in iOS 15 that lead to some recordings being kept and recorded inadvertently despite people option out:

However, Apple found a bug in iOS 15 that enabled the setting for some users who had previously opted out. In other words, recordings were being kept for some users who had opted out of the setting instead of being deleted. Apple has since deleted the erroneous recordings.

Apple says it turned off the setting for “many users” in iOs 15.2 to fix the bug, its full comment stated:

“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.”

Siri is one of the best iPhone features available for all sorts of everyday tasks such as setting timers or recording reminders, sending texts, and requesting songs on Apple Music.