Many iPhone/iPad users are reporting serious accessibility issues after updating to iOS 26.2 and iOS 26.3. The problems especially affect users who rely heavily on:

• Siri
• Voice Control
• Dictation
• Screen Numbers
• Hands-free accessibility features

For some users with physical disabilities, these bugs have made iPhone and iPad devices extremely difficult or impossible to operate normally.

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Common Problems After iOS 26.2 Update

Users report several major issues after installing iOS 26.2 and iOS 26.3:

• “Allow Siri When Locked” not working
• Voice Control recognition becoming inaccurate
• Siri turning off unexpectedly
• Voice Control screen grid failing to appear
• Screen Numbers displaying but not responding properly
• Incoming calls automatically routing to voicemail
• Dictation becoming unreliable or incorrect
• Siri and Voice Control freezing after FaceTime calls

Some users say they now need physical assistance to regain control of their devices.

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Devices Reported With the Problem

The issue has been reported on:

• iPhone SE
• iPad Pro
• older iPads
• newer M4 iPad Pro models

Some users upgraded hardware expecting better performance, but the same Voice Control issues continued.

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Siri and Voice Control Not Working Properly

Many users relying on accessibility features say:

• Voice Control reacts slowly
• number overlays take over 10 seconds to appear
• commands are often misunderstood
• typing accuracy became extremely poor

Users report constantly correcting sentences because dictation recognition quality dropped significantly after the update.

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FaceTime Calls Causing Siri and Voice Control Freeze

One major issue reported is:

• after FaceTime audio or video calls
• Siri and Voice Control stop responding completely

Previously:

• users could reactivate control using “Hey Siri”

But after iOS 26 updates:

• some devices require manual power button access
• making independent operation impossible for certain users

This issue especially impacts accessibility-dependent users.

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Possible Causes

Users strongly believe the problems are update-related because:

• issues appeared immediately after updating
• multiple users report identical behavior
• devices worked normally before iOS 26.2 and 26.3

The problems may involve:

• accessibility service conflicts
• Siri processing bugs
• dictation engine instability
• Voice Control performance issues

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Fixes and Workarounds Users Tried

1. Restarting the Device

Users attempted:

• shutdown and reboot
• toggling Siri on/off
• disabling and re-enabling Voice Control

Results were usually temporary or unsuccessful.

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2. Retraining Siri

Some users found partial improvement by:

• disabling “Hey Siri”
• enabling it again
• repeating the Siri voice training process

For certain users, dictation improved temporarily afterward.

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3. Checking Charger Power Output

One unexpected workaround involved power supply quality.

A user discovered:

• Voice Control became significantly slower when the device lacked enough charging power

For an iPad Pro:

• switching to a proper 20W charger improved Voice Control responsiveness noticeably

Low-power situations appeared to worsen:

• lag
• command delays
• accessibility responsiveness

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4. Removing and Reinserting SIM Card

For users with incoming calls routing directly to voicemail:

• removing the SIM card
• reinserting it

temporarily restored call functionality.

However:

• Siri and Voice Control problems continued afterward.

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5. Language and Dictation Settings

Some users suggested:

• adding the proper keyboard language
• verifying dictation language settings

through:

• Settings → General → Keyboard → Dictation Language

This may help Siri better recognize names and speech patterns.

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Why This Issue Is Serious

For many users, Siri and Voice Control are convenience features.

But for accessibility users:

• these are essential functions
• required for independent device operation

When Voice Control stops working:

• communication
• calling
• navigation
• texting

can become impossible without assistance.

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Final Thoughts

The iOS 26.2 and iOS 26.3 updates appear to have introduced major Voice Control, Siri, and dictation problems for some iPhone and iPad users.

The most commonly reported issues include:

• inaccurate dictation
• frozen Voice Control
• Siri failures
• accessibility instability
• FaceTime-related lockups