If you're anything like me, my experience with Siri over the years has been a hit or miss... mostly a miss. In the past, Siri would often misspell simple words when attempting to dictate text, or she would not understand simple sentences.
"Siri (pronounced /ˈsɪri/) is a virtual assistant that is part of Apple Inc.'s iOS ... The assistant uses voice queries & a natural-language user interface to answer questions, make recommendations, & perform actions" - from Wikipedia
After years of only using the “Hey Siri” to help me locate my lost phone, I decided to give Siri another try. Well all I can say is well done 2019 Siri! Not only did Siri dictate what I said perfectly, she also understood simple and more complex sentences.
I then decided to use Siri with the new Airpod Pro’s and the experience was even better. Siri seems to be almost self aware when you use the “Hey Siri” call out. If you are listening to music the music volume will lower and Siri will politely ask if you called her or not.
Naturally I wanted to learn more of the latest commands, shortcuts and hacks I could use for Siri. And here are some of the cool things that I learned she could do and help with:
Hey Siri Hacks 2019:
Find out what a movie (or anything) is about — If you want to know what a tv show or movie is about? Just simply ask Siri and she will read you the synopsis of the movie.
Take me home or to work — If you are ever lost or just want to track the fastest way to your home or office get Siri to find the route. To set her up so she knows where you live or work just ask her. Say, “hey Siri, where do I work?” She will open up your contact app. From there you can add your home and work address. From now on, wherever you are in the world, you can get Siri to lead you back to your home or office. You can also set up someone else’s address in your contacts and get Siri to navigate you to their home or work. Add someone to your “find my friends” and have Siri help locate them.
Math — We were always told in school we couldn't bring a calculator into math class, but not only does everyone now have one, all we need to do is say any equation out loud. Yes that's right, Siri does math and she does it fast.
Look up calories — Siri will look up the calories of most things you ask her to. So if you're wondering how many calories are in a carrot just ask. It's 52 by the way.
Find your car — To be honest I still don't completely know how she knows this one but if you have lost your car... just ask her where your car is parked?
Look up movie times — If you're wondering what the local movie theatre is playing just ask her what a specific movie is playing and she will answer.
Get you a ride — Ask Siri to get you a ride just ask her and she will open your Uber App and will ask you “Where do you want to go?”.
Umbrella today? — Ask Siri, “Will I need an Umbrella today?” and she will let you know.
Extra bonus tips for using Siri-
If you're an iPhone user, then you're probably familiar with Siri - the voice assistant that can help you with a variety of tasks. But did you know that there are some great tips and tricks for getting the most out of Siri? Here are some of our favourites:
- When asking Siri a question, be as specific as possible. The more information you give Siri, the better it will be able to answer your question.
- If you want Siri to do something for you, simply tell it what you want it to do. For example, if you want Siri to call someone for you, just say "Siri, call John".
- Siri can also be used to set reminders and timers. So if you need to be reminded to pick up milk on the way home, just tell Siri and it will make sure you don't forget.
- You can also ask Siri to show you directions to a specific place. So if you're not sure how to get to the nearest coffee shop, simply ask Siri and it will give you step-by-step directions.
- If you need to find a specific piece of information, you can ask Siri to search the web for you. For example, if you want to know what the weather is like in New York, just say "Siri, search the web for the weather in New York".
As you can see, there are plenty of great ways to use Siri.
About Blog Author & Cell Clinic:
Alex Dechant - Founder & CEO of Cell Clinic, is a BC Business, Top 30 Under 30 2019, Award Recipient - and passionate entrepreneur & environmentalist.
Upon graduating from the University of Lethbridge with a degree in business, Alex moved to the UK where he opened his first cell phone repair company, Apple Tree. He then brought his ideas back to Canada in order to improve cell phone repair and sales in British Columbia, by founding Cell Clinic. Today Cell Clinic operates as BC's premier pre-owned mobile sales & service company — a family owned business with a dedicated team of professionals that have earned a solid reputation for delivering friendly and trusted service. Alex and his team are passionate about reducing eWaste by prolonging the life-cycle of mobile devices and recycling cell phones in a responsible manner. “According to statistics provided by the national United Way organization, cell phones contain lead, arsenic, beryllium and other hazardous toxins that leach into the environment through landfills. One cell phone, if thrown away, can pollute 40,000 gallons of ground water, says Dechant!"