Siri

Artificial intelligence has come a long way from the HAL9000. Thankfully, it is far easier to control our virtual assistants than it was to disable HAL. Sometimes you don’t want to be asking Siri everything. Sometimes Siri is making too many errors. Sometimes you'd rather use Google Assistant. Sometimes you feel like you just want no assistance at all. Whatever the reason for putting Siri in the corner, here is a guide to turning off, limiting, and re-enabling Siri on your iPhone.

As of the update to iOS 14.5, Siri can now learn and remember which music service app you prefer to use when you ask it to play music on your Apple device! We'll show you how to activate Siri so that the virtual assistant will ask which music service to use, and then how to set your preference for later.

Did you know that you can customize how you'd like your AirPods' controls and settings to work? Using the iPhone paired with your AirPods, you can name your AirPods and decide which functions you'd like to engage when you double tap your right or left AirPod, such as activating Siri to adjust the volume on your iPhone. Let's get started learning how to change your AirPod's settings with your iPhone! 

When you allow Siri to be accessed from your Lock screen, you may want to consider what Siri is capable of doing without unlocking your device. For example, let’s say you’re in a room with multiple other people. If one of them were to activate Siri when you have Voice Dial turned on, they could tell Siri to call someone without needing your passcode. But if you have Voice Dial turned off, Siri won’t make the call until you enter your iPhone’s passcode. This may or may not be important to you, but it’s good to know what can and cannot be accessed from Lock screen. Here’s how to turn Voice Dial off on iPhone.

If you’re looking to customize Siri's iOS 14.2 What’s My Update feature, the short answer is: you can’t. You can remove (or add, if you’ve previously removed it) the short news clip Siri will play through the Podcasts app, but otherwise the rundown of your day Siri gives you will remain the same. Hopefully in the future, Apple will add more customization options for this feature, but for now, let’s take a minute to learn how to add or remove the daily news update from What’s My Update.

Siri is great, but there are some things Siri can't do, like take screenshots. Plus, if you have low cell coverage and no Wi-Fi access, then Siri turns off entirely. Turning on voice commands is a great way to navigate your iPhone, open apps, browse the web, and send texts, all without relying on Siri. You can enable your iPhone's Voice Control in the Accessibility menu of your Settings app. Let's dive in with how to turn on Voice Control for the iPhone.

How to Mute Siri

By August Garry

Have you ever just wanted to tell Siri to shut up? Maybe you needed Siri to help you out, but you didn’t want to hear the app’s voice feedback. Maybe you were in a meeting or classroom, and your quick search for where to get a burger after led to embarrassment in front of the whole room when Siri’s voice answered. Maybe you just find Siri’s voice annoying! In this guide, we’ll show you how to mute Siri and avoid any unwanted interruptions in the future.

This article will tell you how to take a screenshot on your iPhone using Siri. We've gone over how to take a screenshot manually, but pressing buttons on an iPhone can be a literal pain if you have joint problems. That, plus messy fingers from cooking or being outside in the cold can make it hard to use to your hands to do a screenshot. For those times when a manual screenshot isn’t an option, you may have wondered, "can I ask Siri to take a screenshot?". The answer is, yes! With iOS 14, you can now just tell Siri to take a screenshot, instead of having to use Voice Control, as you did previously. Let's learn how.

Did you know you can use Siri without talking? You can type to Siri instead. Typing to talk to Siri is ideal for quiet settings or in very loud public places. You can even set up Siri to respond by text when your ringer is turned off. This is great, because it means you can use Siri anytime. You’ll still be able to say, “Hey, Siri,” and speak, but you’ll also have the option to activate Siri without voice and type instead! Here’s how to enable Type to Siri on the iPhone. You can also use this tip to get rid of Type to Siri if you've been wondering why you have to type for Siri when you activate the digital assistant using the Side button.

The AirPods Pro, Apple's latest wireless, Bluetooth earbuds, have more noise-canceling options than previous generations. AirPods Pro owners can decide how much noise reduction they'd like by choosing between three noise-control modes: Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, and Off. There are several ways to switch between these modes, either directly from your AirPods, or by using your paired device, whether it be your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch. Let's get started learning how to turn on and switch between AirPods Pro noise-canceling settings on all your Apple devices. 

Did you know that most radio stations have an online counterpart that duplicates the live radio stream? Tuning in to your favorite radio station online provides a reliable way to listen to your favorite programs without any fussy dials. iOS 13 uses three services, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, and Radio.com, to bring over 100,00 stations to the iPhone. You can use Hey Siri to tune in to most larger public radio stations and even a few local stations. Here's how to listen to live radio with Hey Siri.

Translating your speech from English to another language can come in handy if you're overseas shopping in a foreign country or chatting long distance with a non-English speaking colleague. To use Siri to translate, say something like "Hey, Siri, how do I ask where the bathroom is in French" and Siri will speak the translation for you. While Siri can’t translate other languages to American English, you can translate English to various other languages, including French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Mandarin Chinese. Here’s how to use Siri to translate English to other languages with the iPhone.

Ever since Apple’s virtual assistant Siri debuted with the release of the iPhone 4S and iOS 5 in 2011, using our cell phones has become quicker and easier. So why are you still navigating your device with taps, swipes, and gestures when you could be using Siri? Whether you are a seasoned or rookie iPhone user, Siri will allow you to take control of your device, save time, and be more productive.

As part of the Apple home automation wave, the HomePod is a fun way to use Apple HomeKit accessories. The smart speaker connects to other iOS devices and can access Siri for voice commands, responding to questions, or playing music. If you want to let family members or friends use the HomePod to do things like turn lights on and off and adjust the thermostat in your house, you can give access via the HomePod. Here's how to add another user to the Apple HomePod.

Apple unveiled iOS 12 today at the WWDC 2018 Keynote, and we can expect exciting improvements and features when the iOS update is released in the fall. From overall upgrades to performance, privacy, and security, to app overhauls for the News and Stocks apps, to fun additional Animoji choices, as well as the brand-new Memoji option, Apple engineers have put together a well-balanced crowd-pleaser of an operating system that we can't wait to upload to our devices! Let's go over which devices are compatible with iOS 12, discuss all the new iOS features, and learn how to sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program to try out iOS 12 before the official release date. 

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