Siri “Requests” setting missing on M5 Pro Mac mini — voice activation fails with AirPods 5
I have a new M5 Pro Mac Mini (that I love) running macOS Golden Gate 27.0.1 and new AirPods 5. Siri works when activated manually (by pressing and holding stem of AirPods), but neither “Hey Siri” nor “Siri” activates it.
Apple’s macOS 27 documentation says to open System Settings → Siri → Requests to configure voice activation. The “Requests” option is completely missing from my Siri settings. There is also no “Listen for” option.
Here is what I have checked:
- Siri is enabled.
- Siri’s language is English (United States).
- The AirPods are in my ears and connected to the Mac.
- The AirPods are selected for both sound input and output.
- Their microphone works: Siri hears my question and answers when I squeeze and hold the left AirPod’s stem, which is assigned to Siri.
- Neither “Siri” nor “Hey Siri” produces a response without manually activating Siri.
- Restarting the Mac and reconnecting the AirPods did not restore the missing setting.
- Software Update reports that macOS is up to date. Beta Updates is off.
I considered turning Siri off and back on, but canceled because the warning says this would delete stored Siri and Dictation transcripts and associated information.
Is the missing “Requests” setting a known issue? How can I enable voice activation without deleting Siri data?
I can provide screenshots showing the missing setting and the connected AirPods.