If you own an iPhone or iPad, then you likely already know how to talk to Siri to ask questions or get information. But there’s more to Siri than meets the eye…or ear.
Knowing how and when to use Siri can help you get the right reactions. You can tweak Apple’s voice assistant in a variety of ways to change the language, the voice, and the types of responses. Further, you can delete your dictation history with Siri to better protect your privacy.
First, make sure you’re running the latest OS version on your iPhone or iPad. Go to Settings > General > Software Update. Allow the latest update to download and install if you don’t already have it. Now, let’s check out all the ways you can use and customize Siri.
Train or Retrain Siri
If Siri often misunderstands you, it might be time to train or retrain it on your voice. To do this, go to Settings > Siri & Search > Listen for “Hey Siri,” and turn it off and then back on. You’re prompted to set up “Hey Siri.” Tap Continue. Say each phrase that appears on the screen. When you’re finished, tap Done. Try talking to Siri again to see if it better understands you now.
Help Siri Pronounce Names
Sometimes Siri mispronounces a name, typically someone from your Contacts list. If this happens, Siri might say: “Let me know if I should learn how to say their name.” You can then say: “Hey, Siri, learn how to pronounce [name of person].” Siri confirms that it has the right person and then asks you to pronounce the person’s name. Siri then gives you several pronunciation choices. Tap the Play icon next to each one to hear it, and select the one that sounds best.
Confirm That Siri Heard and Understood You
With iOS 14, Apple changed the look of Siri to a new compact design so that it no longer takes up the entire screen. Instead, a swirling ball appears at the bottom of the screen as Siri responds to your query. The information you requested then pops up at the top of the screen. But you can tweak Siri visually so that your question and its verbal response both appear on the screen. Go to Settings > Siri & Search > Siri Responses.
You can first control when Siri responds by voice. In the Spoken Responses section, choose Always to always have Siri speak back to you. Choose When Silent Mode is Off to make sure Siri only speaks if Silent Mode is turned off. And choose Only with “Hey Siri” to limit Siri’s verbal responses only to when you say “Hey Siri.”
Next, turn on the switch for Always Show Siri Captions to see Siri’s response appear on the screen. Turn on the switch for Always Show Speech to see your question or comment appear on the screen as well. Ask Siri something to see your question and the response both displayed.
Correct Siri’s Mistakes
By tweaking Siri to display your question on the screen, you can also correct it if Siri misunderstands you. Ask Siri a question but intentionally mispronounce a word. Assuming Siri provides the wrong response, tap the text of your question and then correct the mistake. Tap Done, and Siri will respond to the corrected question.
Hear Your Messages
You’re waiting for a text message at same time you’re listening to music or other audio on your iPhone. If you’re using the second-generation AirPods, AirPods Pro, or certain Beats headsets, you can tell Siri to announce each new message. Go to Settings > Siri & Search > Announce Messages. Turn on the switch to Announce Messages with Siri, and make sure the option for Announce Messages from Messages is enabled. You can also set up Siri to send a reply without reading back the message. The next time a message comes through as you’re using supported earbuds or a headset, Siri reads it aloud for you.
Change Siri’s Language or Voice
By default, Siri understands and responds to you in your native language and with a female voice. But you can change either aspect. Go to Settings > Siri & Search > Language and choose among Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and several others. You may then be prompted to retrain the Hey Siri option for the new language. Next, select the setting for Siri Voice. You can choose a specific accent and switch between a male and female voice.
Tap Into Suggestions
Siri can offer shortcuts and other suggestions based on your past use and history, and you can control where and when these suggestions appear. Go to Settings > Siri & Search. In the Siri Suggestions section, turn the switches on or off for each of the four areas or times when a suggestion can appear. Go to the Search screen, and the Siri Suggestions will appear if you enable that option.
Use Siri With Your Apps
Siri works with apps from Apple as well as supported third-party ones. Such support means you can see suggestions from an app, view the app among the results when you run a search through Siri, and even search for content within the app through Siri. To check this, go to Settings > Siri & Search. Under the Siri Suggestions section, tap a specific app to view and enable its support for Siri. Then search for content within that app. For example, say “Hey Siri, find ‘The Right Stuff’ in the Kindle app” or “Hey Siri, find ‘Spider-Man’ on Disney+,” or “Hey Siri, find Paris, France in Google Maps.”
Turn on Accessibility Options
If you’re running into a lack of responsiveness on Siri’s part, there are some accessibility options you can enable. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Siri.
- Turn on the switch for Type to Siri. Press the Side button on your iPhone and you can now type a question or comment for Siri.
- The section for Voice Feedback lets you choose when Siri should provide a verbal response.
- Turn on the switch for Always Listen for “Hey Siri” to make sure Siri is listening even if your phone is face down or covered.
- Show Apps Behind Siri lets your current app stay visible even when you call on Siri.
Delete Siri History
Apple records and analyzes your conversations with Siri. Though the company promises that your requests are associated with a random identifier and not your user ID, you may still not want your dictation to be stored by Apple. To erase your history with Siri, go to Settings > Siri & Search > Siri & Dictation History. Tap the link to Delete Siri & Dictation History. Confirm your request, and your history with Siri is deleted from Apple’s servers.
