Siri is an extremely handy digital assistant, but at times when it’s best to keep quiet, it becomes a challenge to use the voice-centric tool. This AppleInsider guide will fill you in on how to use Type to Siri, Apple’s existing solution to the problem that enables Siri to be used with a keyboard, on both iOS and macOS.
Type to Siri is one of Apple’s accessibility features for iPhone and iPad, as well as for Mac, which changes how the digital assistant fundamentally works. Instead of speaking the query, users are instead presented with the opportunity to simply write what they wanted to request, then Siri interprets the text and responds in its usual way.
While it is primarily included as an alternative way to use Siri without a voice, Type to Siri also helps in cases where Siri cannot successfully interpret an uncommon word or name. By typing it in, this gives Siri a better chance of understanding what is being asked, as opposed to relying on successfully pronouncing it first time.
Type to Siri on macOS
To enable Type to Siri, click the Apple logo in the Menu then System Preferences. Select Accessibility, which will be on the right-hand side of the fourth row of icons.
Scroll down the list on the left-hand side and select Siri. Select the checkbox labeled “Enable Type to Siri.”
As the “Hey Siri” trigger is not available on macOS, it is worth considering setting up a keyboard shortcut. It is available from the Siri Preferences accessible from the bottom of the current Accessibility window, or through System Preferences by selecting Siri.
The top dropdown box of this menu is used to nominate the keyboard shortcut to summon Siri, or to turn this option off. Initial suggestions include the Command-Space shortcut already used for Spotlight Search, Option-Space, and Function-Space, but you can also select your own through the Customize option.
To use Type to Siri, summon Siri by clicking on the Siri icon in the Dock, the Siri icon near the clock on the Menu bar, or by pressing the predefined keyboard shortcut. Once the Siri window appears, start typing the query, as the cursor is already ready in the new Type to Siri text entry box, and hit return to submit.
Siri will provide responses in its usual way, but will keep the new text entry box visible below any displayed results just in case a follow-up query is required.
Type to Siri on iOS
Enter the Settings app, scroll down to General on the left-hand column, and select it. On the right-hand side, select Accessibility.
Scroll down to the Interaction section and select Siri. Lastly, tap the Type to Siri toggle to turn it on.
To use Type to Siri, summon Siri as normal, namely by holding the Home button, or on the iPhone X, holding the side power button. This will bring up a Siri window with a text entry box and the onscreen keyboard, though if you have a physical keyboard connected to the iPad, it will leave the onscreen keyboard off.
Type your query and press done, or hit return on the physical keyboard, to submit. The text entry box will remain while Siri’s results are on screen, with the now-hidden onscreen keyboard brought back by tapping the entry box.
Note that you can still bring up Siri by saying “Hey, Siri” and continue with a verbal request but it won’t immediately bring up the Type to Siri box in this case. You will either have to wait for Siri to give up listening for query for it to appear at the bottom of the screen, or tap the initial “Hey Siri” query to edit it if you want to type the command without waiting.
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Comments (11)
foregoneconclusion
Nice tip. Wasn’t aware of that functionality at all.
kiowavt
One thing I discovered when one does not want to speak aloud to Siri to find things or dictate. You can hold the phone/microphone close to your mouth and whisper and it works rather well. Try it. Worked way better than I expected for when one wants to be rather quiet.
mwhite
Most of the time Siri doesn’t work with my iPhone 7 does anyone else with a iPhone 7 have the same problem?
lkrupp
You can find all sorts of neat stuff in the Accessibility preferences panel.
Agreed, nice tip. But honestly, when I’m typing a question, it’s more likely to Google.
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Don’t bother breaking up with Siri; let Google do it for you.
Ever wanted to replace Siri with Google Assistant? If you need an iPhone assistant but you’re ready to fire Siri (or just give her a well-earned vacation), you can install Google Assistant on your iPhone and use a shortcut to make Siri little more than Google Assistant’s answering service. Here’s how:
Jump To:
- Install the Google Assistant App on Your iPhone
- Create a Shortcut to Activate Google Assistant with Siri
Install the Google Assistant App on Your iPhone
Before you can have Google at your beck and call, you’ll need to install Google Assistant. Here’s how to get Google Assistant from the App Store:
- Go to the App Store.
Search for Google Assistant.
Tap Get.
Tap Open. This will open the Google Assistant app.
If you are logged into your Google account on your iPhone, Google will recognize you, and you can just tap Continue as [Your Name]. You can also tap the account to sign into a different account, or if you are not signed into any account, Google will offer the opportunity to do so now.
Now you’re in Google Assistant! You can noodle with the app to set up things like your assistant’s voice, what devices the assistant can connect to, automated routines, and more; or you can just start typing or tap the microphone to ask Google Assistant your questions.
Create a Shortcut to Activate Google Assistant with Siri
Before you create a shortcut to summon Google Assistant, make sure that Siri is enabled and Listen for Siri is toggled on. You can learn more about Shortcuts and Siri tips and tricks when you sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter.
- Go to Shortcuts.
Tap the plus sign in the top right-hand corner.
Tap Add Action, then tap Next.
Search for Assistant and tap Hey Google.
A new shortcut will pop up for Assistant with the label Hey Google and Show When Run toggled on. Tap Next.
Type Hey Google into the next screen.
Tap Done.
You are all set up with a handy shortcut to use Google Assistant on your iPhone. Whenever you want to access Assistant, say the admittedly clunky phrase, “Hey Siri, Hey Google,” and Siri will take you right to the Assistant app. Then, you can directly ask Google whatever burning questions are on your mind.
iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra permit Siri to keep its “brain” in perfect sync across your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV devices in order to better personalize your queries. This handy feature is essential to offering a more seamless Siri experience based on your personal usage of the personal assistant on each of your devices.
By using iCloud to sync on-device machine learning data across your Apple gear, Siri combines knowledge of your behaviors with contextual data found on every device you own.
It helps Siri’s machine learning become smarter as it gets a more complete picture of you.
Here’s how to enable Siri sync on every device you use.
System requirements for Siri data sync
Keep in mind that Siri’s data-syncing ability requires an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with iOS 11 or later, a Mac with macOS High Sierra or later, an Apple Watch with watchOS 4 or later or a fourth-generation Apple TV with tvOS 11 or later.
Older editions of iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS don’t support this feature.
Siri data sync and your security
The ability for Siri to sync data via iCloud keeps your personal information as secure as it has ever been because your data is end-to-end encrypted as it travels between devices.
“Siri understands context, your interests and how you use your device,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering at WWDC in June 2017.
“What Siri learns about you on device is kept synced across all of your devices and kept completely private, readable on all of your devices,” he added.
How to enable Siri sync on iPhone & iPad
1) Launch the Settings app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod.
2) Tap your profile name and picture at the top of the screen
3) On the next screen, tap iCloud.
4) Slide the Siri switch to the ON position.
Siri will now sync machine learning data gathered on this device with iCloud. Enable this feature on your other devices, too, for a more seamless Siri experience.
The feature is off by default and you’re wholeheartedly recommended to enable iCloud syncing for Siri since you probably use Apple’s personal assistant on more than one device.
How to enable Siri sync on Mac
1) Open the System Preferences app on your Mac.
2) Click the iCloud icon in the System Preferences window.
3) On the iCloud preference pane, tick the box next to “Siri”.
Doing so lets Siri on this Mac take advantage of iCloud syncing to use machine learning data gathered from your other devices along with any data accumulated on this device.
watchOS 4 lacks this switch because Siri on Apple Watch already uses data from your paired iPhone. In other words, setting up Siri data syncing on an iPhone lets your Apple Watch take advantage of synchronized machine learning data from its paired iPhone.
The same goes for Siri for Apple TV with tvOS 11 or later.
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Got stuck? Not sure how to do certain things on your Apple device? Let us know via [email protected] and a future tutorial might provide a solution.
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If used smartly, “Siri Shortcut” can prove to be a game changer in many ways. For instance, you can use custom Apple News shortcuts to instantly access Apple News history, check out all of your saved stories, quickly head into the latest articles of your favorite site and more.
Siri keeps an eye on your News app usage and provides suggestions accordingly. And if you think that a phrase can come in handy in enhancing your experience, you can create a shortcut for that. Then after, your personalized command will allow you to access your favorite stories. Read on to discover how Siri Shortcuts for Apple News work.
Sticky Note: Siri offers suggestions based on your usage and interest. So for instance, if you want to see your saved stories using the virtual assistant, make sure you have saved articles. Else, it won’t offer the related suggestions.
The Most of Siri Shortcuts For Apple News
Quick navigation:
Access All Of Your Saved Apple News Articles
Step #1. Open Settings app on your device → Now, scroll down and tap on News → Next, tap on Siri & Search.
Step #2. Next up, tap on Shortcuts.
Step #3. On this screen, you should see a ton of suggestions for shortcuts based on your usage. Now, the real magic begins:
- Find the “see my saved stories” suggestion and tap on it
- Next, hit the red button to record the phrase. Finally, tap on Done to confirm
Going forward, whenever you want to view your saved stories, invoke Siri and speak the phrase and you are ready to go! Told you it’s pretty straightforward, didn’t I?
View Apple News History Using Siri Shortcuts
- Look for History and tap on it
- Up next, you need to record a personalized phrase. To do so, hit the red button and speak the phrase
- Make sure to tap on Done at the top right to finish
You can now view your history just by invoking Siri and speaking the phrase.
Quickly Access the Stories of Specific Sites with Siri Shortcut
- If you want to instantly access the stories from your favorite site, look for the “See stories from iGeeksBlog (site name) and tap on it → Now, tap on the record button and speak the phrase. Then, tap on Done to confirm
From now onwards, whenever you wish to get the articles of this site, bring the personal assistant into action and say the phrase.
See Stories for Specific Topics Using Siri Shortcuts
- Find the “See stories about Technology (topic name)” → Now, tap on the red button and record the phrase → Make sure to tap on Done to finish
From now on, you can activate the virtual assistant and speak the phrase to view the stories from particular topics.
See Stories from Today Using Siri Shortcuts
Siri Shortcuts will also let you access the stories from Today.
Now, all you need to do to view the articles from today is to activate Siri and speak the phrase. This is just the tip of the iceberg. So, explore the entire suggestions and create smart shortcuts.
Manage/Edit Siri Shortcuts for Apple News
Managing Apple News’ Siri Shortcuts is pretty simple. Based on your need, you can re-record your phrase, and even remove the ones that are no longer needed.
Step #1. Open Settings app on your device → tap on News.
Step #2. Now, tap on Siri & Search.
Step #3. From this Screen, you can disable/enable Siri & Suggestions for News, Allow or Disallow information from Apple News to show in Lock Screen, and turn off/on Siri to find content in other apps.
If you want to make changes in any shortcuts, tap on Shortcuts then tap on Edit.
Delete A Specific News Siri Shortcut
- To remove a shortcut, Settings app on your device → tap on News → tap on Siri & Search → tap on Shortcuts → tap on Edit at the top right. Then, tap on the red button to the left of the specific phrase under My News Shortcuts. Next, hit Delete.
Re-record Apple News Phrase for Siri Shortcut
- If you want to re-record any News shortcut, tap on the specific one under My News Shortcuts section. Now, tap on Re-Record Phrase, speak any phrase. Then, tap on Done to finish
Wrapping Up…
So, that’s how you can make the most of hacks to enhance your experience. Again, Siri provides suggestions based on your usage and what you like reading. Therefore, use the News app and explore everything that catches your eyes. Then, dive into the shortcuts settings to find out the recommendations.
And if you think that a personalized phrase can make your task easier, record a phrase and use it to simplify your experience. That’s how it works.
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How many times have you used Siri in the past couple of days? Weeks? Months? From pulling up contact information for local restaurants to finding directions to the nearest Best Buy or Target, Siri can help you out in numerous ways. But if you’re still using your Home button to summon Apple’s virtual assistant, then you’re missing out on some major conveniences.
We’re talking about the voice activation feature that lets you summon help by simply saying “Hey Siri.”
This feature comes in really handy when you’re driving or cooking, or in another situation where handling your phone could be dangerous or messy. It could even help save your life like it did for this man who was able to call 911 through Siri after an explosion left his hands severely burned.
Note: Did you know Siri can tell you what’s playing at your local movie theater, help you locate your friends and more? Click here to learn the code words that trigger these commands, and learn even more helpful Siri features.
Voice activation for Siri was actually introduced a few years ago, but many people still don’t know it exists. And, we should also point out that there’s a caveat. If you own an iPhone 6 or older model, your device must be plugged in for the feature to work.
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OK, now that you know the basic rules, here’s how you can set up “Hey Siri.”
First, open up your phone or tablet’s Settings menu, then tap Siri.
Next, turn on the toggles for Access When Locked and Allow Hey Siri.
After this, you’ll be prompted to calibrate the Hey Siri feature by helping Siri to learn your voice.
You’ll be asked to repeat several phrases such as, “Hey Siri, it’s me.”
Once you’ve completed the calibration process, you’re all set. Siri will now be listening for the trigger words and ready to help you with anything you need.
A word of caution
Turning on voice activation for Siri could potentially leave your phone at risk to hacks. This is because when you turn the Access When Locked toggle on, unauthorized people can also say “Hey Siri” to launch the virtual assistant and give commands like sending text messages, viewing photos and even reviewing contacts. (Click here to see an example of how this hack works to bypass your lock screen.)
However, it’s important to note that this can also be done even if voice activation isn’t activated. In this case, a snoop could simply hold down the home button to launch Siri.
So, if you’re going to use the “Hey Siri” function, it’s critical that you never let your device out of your sight. Losing your phone or tablet could allow someone else to access your private data. If the unimaginable does wind up happening to you, there is a trick that lets you shut down your gadget. As soon as you realize your device is missing, you’ll need the information in this tip at your disposal – Click here for steps to track and wipe your lost or stolen gadget.
Siri is often the easiest way to use your iPhone hands-free, but the smart assistant stops listening for the “Hey Siri” hot phrase when you lie the handset with its face down. In this tutorial, we’re going to teach you how to enable Siri when iPhone is face down or covered.
The underrated Facedown Detection feature
Since iOS 9, iPhones have supported a feature called Facedown Detection which prevents Siri for listening to the “Hey Siri” hot phrase when the phone is facedown on a table or its front is covered (unless connected to power). This trick makes it possible to temporarily prevent Siri from responding to the hot phrase without changing any settings or turning Siri off completely.
The handy Facedown Detection feature works in tandem with ambient light and proximity sensors in your phone and requires Apple’s M7 motion coprocessor or newer, which is found in all iOS devices from the iPhone 5s, iPad mini 2, iPad Air 2 and iPad Pro and later.
Facedown Detection lacks user-facing toggles and cannot be disabled, but you can override some of its behavior.
With iOS 13.4, however, Apple brought out a new accessibility option that now allows customers to override Facedown Detection so the device responds to “Hey Siri” even when placed face down. Follow along with our step-by-step tutorial included right ahead to learn how to enable “Hey Siri” when your iPhone is kept face down on a table or covered.
How to use Hey Siri when iPhone is face down
The toggle that forces the smart assistant to respond to “Hey Siri” when the handset is face down, without regard to the orientation, is located in Siri’s accessibility settings on iOS 13.4+.
Here’s how to enable Siri when your iPhone is face down or covered:
1) Open Settings on your iPhone with the iOS 13.4 software or newer.
2) Choose Accessibility from the root list.
3) Now tap Siri.
4) Slide the switch Always Listen for Hey Siri to the ON position.
Don’t see the toggle? Be sure that you’re running iOS 13.4 or later! Screenshot via 9to5Mac.
This will ensure that iOS will continue listening for the “Hey Siri” wake-up phrase all the time, even when your iPhone is facing down or its front has been covered with something.
You may want to toggle off this new accessibility setting in iOS 13.4 if you’d like to retain the ability to temporarily stop listening for “Hey Siri” without changing the Siri settings. Facedown Detection also helps conserve battery life because it silences notifications so that the screen doesn’t light up every time a notification is delivered prominently.
Wrapping up, here are all the instances when iOS prevents Siri from responding to “Hey Siri”:
- Your device is face down
- Th device is in your pocket
- The cover is closed on your iPhone or iPad case
- Low Power Mode is enabled on your iPhone
- The device isn’t connected to power (iPhone 6 or earlier, some iPads or any iPod touch)
Our separate tutorial lays out how iOS decides when there are multiple nearby devices that support “Hey Siri” which one should responds to the activation phrase.
Need help? Ask iDB!
If you like this tutorial, pass it along to your friends and leave a comment below.
Got stuck? Not sure how to do certain things on your Apple device? Let us know via [email protected] and a future tutorial might provide a solution.
Submit your own how-to suggestions via [email protected].
Here you’ll find everything you need to know to make calls using Siri on your iPhone. Learning what you can ask Siri is essential to getting the most out of your iPhone. For instance, did you know there are 12 Siri commands that let Siri make phone calls? Siri can do things like make calls, call emergency services, and interact with your contacts. Besides that, Siri can also help you with your Voicemails.
See the most common questions answered in the FAQ section, or view the complete list of phone commands under Keeping Up With Siri in the table of contents below.
Can Siri make phone calls?
Yes. Check out the Siri Phone Commands below.
Can Siri answer calls?
Yes and no. On iPhone, you won’t be able to activate Siri while you have an incoming call. However, you can answer a call via HomePod.
When you use HomePod, Siri will “pick up the phone” for you and start the call. Siri doesn’t talk on the phone for you.
Can Siri end a call?
No. Once a call is active, you won’t be able to summon Siri.
Can Siri call emergency services?
Yes. In the U.S., Siri will call 911. The emergency number will change depending on your country.
You can find the command below:
Can Siri call 911 when phone is locked?
Yes. Siri can make an emergency call when the phone is locked.
Can Siri use the speaker?
Yes. Check out this example: “Hey Siri, call Nia’s mobile on speakerphone”
Can Siri turn on speakerphone?
Siri can only start the phone call with speakerphone enabled. Siri can’t enable or disable the speaker during a call.
Keeping Up With Siri
Want to learn all 366 commands Apple highlights in the Siri Guide? You’ve come to the right place. Welcome to Keeping Up With Siri. In this series, I unpack Apple’s Siri Guide with the full lineup of commands and capabilities. This area focuses on using Siri to make phone calls as well as helping you with your Voicemails.
Let’s get started.
Phone Calls
“Hey Siri, call Brian”
This is the top command on Apple’s Siri Guide found in Siri’s UI. You can use Siri to call someone in your contacts. Nice and simple, but also extremely useful. Just make sure you use the name of someone in your contacts (i.e. if you change out your spouse’s contact name for “Wife/Husband” instead). This command also gets tricky when you have more than one “Brian” in your contacts. When that happens, Siri will ask you which contact you want to call.
“Hey Siri, call Mom”
This command highlights the labeling features for contacts. In order to use this exact command, you first need to do a bit of setup with your “Mom” contact.
Within the Phone App, click on the tab called “Contacts.” Then, once you arrive at a specific contact, you can specify a “related name” for the individual. One of the benefits of this field is you also give an association with the related name. “Mother” happens to be the default and can be changed to “Mom”. After setting this field, Siri will understand that this person is also your mom and carry out the command.
To find the setting, Open the Phone App and click on the Contacts tab:
- Open your contact card that is for your mom
- Tap edit
- Scroll down and tap on “add related name”
Alternatively, you can change the First Name of your mom to “Mom”. But mom’s have real names, too, you know!
“Hey Siri, call Susan on her work phone”
This command helps when you have someone in your contacts who has multiple phone numbers. For each contact that you create, you can provide multiple phone numbers. When you put in a phone number, you also assign a label. Once that label is set, you can use it for commands like this one with Siri.
The default label is “home.” This is what it looks like:
When you click on “home,” you’ll see a list of possible labels you can assign. Tap “work” and you’ll be able to use the phrase “work phone” with Siri.
“Hey Siri, call Nia’s mobile on speakerphone”
Apple highlights two Siri capabilities with this command. Like the previous command, you can mention specific phone number labels to Siri. In this case, the contact Nia needs to have a phone number with the label “mobile.”
The second capability is where the real magic is for this command. Apple shows you that you can specify the output speaker for a call. In this case, the speakerphone.
“Hey Siri, call 408 555 0100”
This command is straight forward. Give Siri the number by saying each digit, and she’ll call it. I think the larger challenge here is getting Siri to understand each digit correctly. Rather than use this, you’re better off creating a contact if you call this number frequently.
“Hey Siri, call home”
This command highlights the label you can assign to a number, just like with the above commands. Only this time, you’re using the label “home,” instead of “mom” or “mobile.”
“Hey Siri, call 911”
In the U.S., 911 is the number for emergency services. By using this command, you’ll trigger Siri to dial the number for you.
Don’t try this one out unless you really need to use it. Commands like this are usually given more urgency than others, so expect someone to pick up quickly to help when you use this command.
“Hey Siri, call emergency services”
Here’s another way to call 911 (for those in the U.S.). This command also works for other countries as Siri is smart enough to know the right number for your area.
“Hey Siri, do I have any missed calls?”
Using this command causes Siri to read out any missed calls you have. You can also see this in the Phone App within the Recents tab at the bottom. With this command, Siri only tells you about calls that you didn’t pick up to and you haven’t been notified about already.
“Hey Siri, check my recent calls”
If you want all your recent calls–not just the missed calls–use this command instead. Siri lists all of your recent calls, not just the ones you haven’t yet checked.
“Hey Siri, call back”
Use this command to call back your most recent number or contact. This saves you from having to use the name or dial the number yourself. Very handy.
“Hey Siri, redial that last number”
This command is the same as “call back” from above. You’ll see this sort of command duplication often with Siri. Apple tries to capture all the natural phrasing and variations of a specific command for a better user experience.
Voicemail
“Hey Siri, do I have any new voicemail?”
When you use this command, Siri shows you a list of voicemail messages you haven’t already seen. So the word “new” is important with this command. If you don’t have anything new, you instead can ask Siri “do I have any voicemail?” to get a list of every voicemail message you haven’t deleted yet.
“Hey Siri, play me the voicemail from Emily”
Apple highlights the ability to filter and search your voicemails. With this command, you skip the list of voicemails and go straight to a voicemail specifically from one of your contacts.
See! Siri can do much more than just make phone calls for you. Check out what else you can do with Apple’s Voice Assistant in Keeping Up With Siri Commands. In this series, I highlight the complete list of capabilities Siri can do.
Tips and tricks for your voice assistants
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‘Who Can Forget? 2011’: Revisit Siri’s start as the communication companion
Voice assistants changed the way we interact with technology. Why set an alarm manually when Alexa can do it for you? Siri can type up your emails.
That’s all well and good — until the third time in a row, your AI assistant is confused and you’re frustrated.
If you’ve been having a hard time getting through to your voice assistant, here’s how to get Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant to understand you better.
Speak to Alexa, Google or Siri like you’re talking to a friend. (iStock)
1. Watch your tone
You’ve probably seen viral videos of people screaming at Alexa or Google Assistant when they don’t get through the first time. While it’s tempting to let out your frustration that way, yelling at any voice assistant makes it even less likely to understand you.
For optimal results, talk at a normal volume. Speak to Alexa, Google or Siri like you’re talking to a friend.
2. Don’t block the mic
You ask Siri a question, and you don’t get an answer. Surprise, your thumb is blocking the mic. If your voice assistant can’t hear you, make sure you’re not the problem.
With Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, you need proper clearance. Amazon suggests at least eight inches of space around your Echo device. That isn’t always possible, but a little breathing room helps it pick up your words more accurately.
Amazon Echo devices. (Reuters)
3. Act natural
Are you one of those people who talk to a voice assistant robotically? I get it. You think since you’re talking to a robot, you should sound like one too. But today’s AI is designed to pick up on regular human speech.
Talk like a normal person, and your voice assistant will respond best. Instead of “Alexa, alarm 7!” say, “Alexa, set an alarm for 7 in the morning.”
4. Create profiles for various family members
You can train Amazon’s Alexa to recognize up to six different people. This tip can be handy if you have family members with foreign accents or children at varying levels of language development. It’s an easy process and you can let Alexa slowly adjust to various voices.
Here’s how to set up Alexa profiles:
- Open the Alexa app.
- Tap More >Settings.
- Select Your Profile.
- Next to Voice, select Create.
- Select Continue.
You can also train Siri to recognize your voice. Take this extra step if you have an accent or speak quickly. You likely did this when you set up your phone, but try again if you and Siri aren’t getting along.
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Click on Siri & Search.
- Toggle the switch next to Listen for “Hey Siri” off and back on.
- Complete the on-screen setup process to train Siri to recognize your voice.
You can also teach Siri how to pronounce the names of people in your life, so you call the right person. If Siri says a name wrong, say, “You pronounced it wrong” to set the smart assistant straight.
Google Home Hub is one of the company’s devices that offers Google Assistant. (AP)
Google Assistant has a similar feature called Voice Match. You can teach Google Assistant how to recognize your commands more accurately.
- Open the Google Home app.
- Tap your profile picture or initials.
- Head to Assistant settings >Voice Match.
- Click Add Devices.
- Follow the on-screen directions.
5. Make your smart assistant smarter
Often, Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri will ask for clarification about something you said. This can be annoying, but answering will help train the AI to know you better.
When you respond to clarify what you were asking about in the first place, it shows your smart assistant how to do better in the future. Every clarification you make, your AI technology remembers and adapts to, making it less likely for you to have to repeat yourself next time.
There are, however, some questions and settings that might be worth the annoyance. Tap or click for fixes to 5 irritating Echo settings.
Check out my podcast “Kim Komando Explains” on Apple, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast player.
ProPublica obtained IRS information showing how billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Warren Buffett pay little in income tax when compared to their massive wealth — sometimes, even nothing. I sat down with an experienced tax accountant who works with wealthy clients to get the scoop. Plus, we talked about special tax credits to lower your taxes.
What digital lifestyle questions do you have? Call Kim’s national radio show and tap or click here to find it on your local radio station. You can listen to or watch The Kim Komando Show on your phone, tablet, television, or computer. Or tap or click here for Kim’s free podcasts.
By Dan Moren 06 October 2015
Siri has added even more powers in iOS 9. Here’s how to make your iPhone more awesome using Apple’s voice-powered personal assistant.
Remember This Later
Sometimes you’re browsing the web and come across a web page you want to remember later. Or sometimes you just find a restaurant in Yelp that you can’t check out right now. Starting in iOS 9, Siri understands context. Just bring up the virtual assistant and tell her to remind you about “this” at a later time or date; Siri will add an item to your reminders list, complete with a link to the page or item that you were looking at.
Learn to Pronounce Names
Does Siri always get your name wrong? Or the name of one of your friends or family members? It’s easy enough to fix: just tell Siri “learn to pronounce John Smith’s name” and the virtual assistant will ask you to say both first names and last names. For each, Siri will offer multiple different pronunciations for you to select from.
Run a Spellcheck
I failed out of the eighth grade spelling be on “licentious” — couldn’t remember if it was a “c,” an “s” or a “t” in there. Too bad I didn’t have Siri: as of iOS 9, the virtual assistant can spell any word you ask of it, all the way from “cat” to “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Sure, autocorrect and spellcheck are great, but when all you know is how to pronounce a word, Siri’s even more useful.
Convert on the Fly
Ounces into liters, pounds into kilograms, even Celsius into Fahrenheit: so many units, so little time to remember all the conversion factors. Fortunately, Siri can remember them for you: just ask how many cups are in a quart, and the virtual assistant will obligingly remind you 4. And unit conversions aren’t the only things Siri’s capable of handling: If you’re going to be traveling abroad and wonder just how much that knick-knack you bought would cost in U.S. dollars, you can do currency conversions pretty easily as well.
Find Photos
Starting in iOS 9, Siri knows way more about your photos than before. It may not be good enough to pick just the photo you were thinking of, but Siri searches can help you narrow things down. Tell Siri, for example, to show you all the pictures you took in April, or the ones you took in Lisbon — or, better yet, the photos you took in Lisbon *in* April, and she will fire up the Photos app and show you just the pictures that match your request. Siri can even identify videos, selfies, and panoramas too.
Establish Relationships
Siri can be even more helpful when it knows more about you and the people in your life. Fortunately, it’s not hard to clue in the virtual assistant. Just trigger Siri and say “George is my brother” or “Ginger is my mom.” Next time you tell Siri to send a message to your mom or brother, she’ll know exactly who you mean. There aren’t defined relationships, either: you can say that so-and-so is “my boss” or “my partner in crime” or “my sensei,” and Siri won’t bat an eye.
Identify that Song
We’ve all been out at a coffee shop and found ourselves tapping our foot along with a catchy tune that we don’t know. Siri, however, loves a good game of Name That Tune: just ask Siri who plays or sings this song and hold your device up to the speaker. The virtual assistant will take a listen and, using some technology from song identifier Shazam, will peg the song for you, complete with an option to — of course — buy it on the iTunes Store.
Interact with Settings
Finding things in iOS’s Settings app can be a pain, even with the iOS 9’s newly added search functionality. Fortunately, Siri too can look for items buried in Settings, and even turn some of them on or off. For example, tell Siri to turn Bluetooth on or off and she will happily do so. Ask Siri to open Wi-Fi settings or calendar settings, and that will happen, too.
Correct a Misheard Query
We’ve all had Siri misunderstand us, hearing us ask about “” instead of “”. Never fear, though: you can correct the intelligent agent with just a few taps. Tap on the query that Siri heard and you’ll be able to use the keyboard to correct any mistakes and reissue the request. Sure, you could always just ask Siri a second time, but if you want to make sure you’re not misheard again — or Siri consistently doesn’t understand you — typing may be the way to get your question answered.
Roll a Die, Flip a Coin
Sometimes you just need to introduce an element of randomness into your life. Siri can help! Tell Siri to pick a card, flip a coin, or roll a die, and the intelligent agent will give you a random result. Even better, for role-playing game enthusiasts: Siri can roll more than just your average six-sided dice: tell her to roll an eight-sided die or a D20 and it will be oblige.
If you need a little more guidance, Siri’s also got the classic magic 8-ball built in. Just say “Eight ball” followed by your query, and Siri will provide you with a handy piece of wisdom. (Neither handiness nor wisdom is guaranteed.) “Eight ball, is this a useful feature?” Reply hazy, try again.
