Siri is the virtual assistant available on all Apple devices. The user interface in it listens to your commands and responds when necessary. It also shows recommendations and performs as requested. But it has a lot more potential and uses than what people regularly ask it to do. Other than fetching the latest news updates, weather, calling, etc., it can work in various ways. If you’re interested in exploring Siri’s potential, then use the guide below:
Teach Siri about Your Relations
As you know that you can use Siri to call people, but it can be a little weird to call someone by their full name. So, here comes an unknown fact that you can teach Siri about the relations you have with other people, and use those relations for normal-sounding voice commands, like “Hey Siri, call my dad” or “Hey Siri, call my best friend.”
Siri won’t know your dad or best friend unless you teach it. To teach it so, all you have to say is “Hey Siri, Richard Keller is my father,” and Siri will automatically add this information to the relevant contact card. If your command doesn’t work, then make sure that you have your contact card on your iPhone. Your Contact Card will appear at the top of the Contacts app named My Card. If there isn’t any, then create a new contact card from the Settings app. Go to Siri & Search and click on My Information to make it your own.
Solve Mathematics
You might not know that Siri has integration with Wolfram Alpha, which enables it to find answers to a wide range of math problems. To do so, ask Siri the question for which you want the solution and wait for it to say the answer. For example, suppose you want to figure out a 15 percent tip on a $150 bill, then ask Siri saying, “What is 15 percent of 150 dollars?” You could also specify the currencies or even convert them from one to another. So, as long as you know the right command to say or ask it, Siri can handle any math problem even if it is a complex one. And, that includes finding the answer for the square root of a number, plotting graphs, calculating the volume of shapes, and more.
Make Reservations
When you try to find some food using your iPhone, ask Siri to suggest nearby restaurants to suit your tastes. Tell your assistant about the cuisine or type of restaurant you want to find, ex. Dine-in, takeout food, Italian cuisine, etc. You can also ask Siri to make a reservation by saying “Book a table”, and Siri will take care of the rest. Siri will ensure that the restaurant is reservable, and then only it will allow you to call the restaurant to make your reservation.
Use the OpenTable app to enable Siri to make reservations on your behalf. Set up an account on the app, and the next time you want to reserve a table with a supported restaurant, Siri will do it for you without taking any commands from you.
Privately Communicate with Siri
Talking to Siri feels a little awkward, especially when you’re in public. People around you can hear the full back-and-forth conversation between you and your iPhone, which might attract a few unwelcome stares. Fortunately, Apple enables you to talk to Siri discreetly. To do this, use the following steps:
Go to the Settings app and click on Siri & Search.
Switch the Siri Feedback option to Only with “Hey Siri”. Depending on the iOS version you use, you might find the option in Voice Feedback. If it is so, then click on Hands-Free Only.
This option will make sure that Siri won’t speak out loud so that others can’t hear her unless you activate it using “Hey Siri.” You can read Siri’s responses in the text format displayed on your screen.
If you want to keep only some parts of the Siri conversation private, then activate Siri and say “Type.” Siri won’t understand your command and will enable you to tap on the response to open a keyboard and type your commands rather than speaking.
Find Web Pages
Siri can search the web for you, which it usually does when it fails to understand your command. But you can intentionally ask Siri to search the web and save some time in opening and typing a search term on your own. To use this feature, ask “Search the web for [your search terms].” If you want to use a specific search engine, say “Search Google for [your search terms].”
You can also specify the particular site you want to search by saying, “Search for the American Revolution on Wikipedia,” and it will directly open the Wikipedia post. You can similarly explore many other websites.
If you’re surprised by these unique commands and actions that Siri can understand and perform, then know that there’s more to it. You cannot imagine how smart your Siri can get.
Comments