To use Siri on macOS, Apple requires sending your contacts. Here’s how to avoid this data-sharing requirement.
If you’ve enabled Siri in System Settings on macOS, you may have received a warning that turning Siri on will send your contacts, location, and voice data to Apple. This goes against Apple’s privacy claims and you may not want all your contacts sent to Apple.
However, to use Siri in macOS, it is necessary. Here are some workarounds to enable Siri while keeping your contacts private:
1. Backup your contacts data so you can restore it later and remove your contacts data from your Mac before enabling Siri.
2. Create an additional macOS Startup Disk with a clean copy of macOS for when you need Siri turned on.
3. Turn off iCloud syncing for contacts if you store your contacts in iCloud.
Before turning Siri on, make sure to backup your contacts using the following methods:
1. Export your contacts to an archive from the Contacts app.
2. Back up the AddressBook folder in Finder.
To restore your contacts after using Siri, you can:
1. Open the .abbu file to overwrite all contacts in the app.
2. Move the backed-up files back to the AddressBook folder.
The macOS Contacts app stores its data as SQLite database files in the AddressBook folder. Viewing and editing these files can provide additional information about your contacts.
While these workarounds may be a bit of a hassle, they are simple ways to use Siri while maintaining your data privacy. Regularly backing up your contacts data is always a good security practice.