Recently, voice assistants have become more and more common in our daily lives. Most users of the iPhone and other Apple products are familiar with one of them - Siri, but few understand all the perspectives of virtual assistants and know how to use all their features and functions.
What is a voice assistant
Imagine that your devoted friend is always next to you, who is ready to talk with you at any time of the day or night, answer any of your questions and carry out assignments. At the same time, he never gets tired, he does not have a bad mood, and every day he becomes smarter and understands you better. These are the voice assistants that are available for everyday use today.
Voice assistants are built into computers, tablets, phones, smart watches, smart speakers, and even cars. It is important to understand that interaction with the voice assistant is carried out exclusively by voice, without the use of hands, without pressing any buttons. This is a fundamentally new way of interaction between a person and a program, which is very similar to communication between people.
- Siri from Apple.
- Google Assistant Google company.
- Alexa from Amazon.
- Alice from Yandex.
We already wrote earlier and, and in this article we will talk in detail about Siri.
Siri voice assistant
Siri is a voice assistant that was the first to support the Russian language, and only then did the domestic one appear, released at the end of 2017, and even later in the summer of 2018 it spoke Russian. Siri recognizes Russian speech quite well, even if there is music playing nearby or there are extraneous noises.
Siri on iPhone SE Siri hasn't always been owned by Apple. Initially, it was a separate application in the App Store for iOS. In 2010, Apple acquired Siri Inc. and their unique development. Shortly after the purchase, Apple built Siri into the iPhone 4S and later into subsequent devices. Then, in 2011, Siri became the first product in the personal voice assistant market.
Siri adapts to each user individually, learns his preferences and begins to better understand his "owner". This is primarily noticeable in the improvement of your voice recognition after the first weeks of use. You can also tell Siri how to address you and the names of your contacts from your address book so that it understands you better. And when Siri pronounces names incorrectly, you can always correct her, show the correct accent.
Siri is available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and in almost all modern cars via CarPlay. The way you launch Siri and the list of available commands varies by device.
How to launch Siri on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
Start by pressing the Home button
Siri is available on all iPhones from iPhone 4s on iOS 5 and above. To launch Siri on an iPhone (except iPhone X), you need to press and hold the central Home button.
To launch Siri on iPhone X, press and hold the side button.
After the beep, you can make a request. On some devices, you may need to wait for Siri to appear on the screen before giving a command.
Hey Siri - How to turn on Siri with your voice
Siri can be launched solely with the help of voice, without pressing any buttons at all. All you have to do is say "Hey Siri". After the beep, you can ask a question or give a command.
To do this, the “Hey Siri” function must be activated on the device: Settings → Siri and search → Listen to “Hey Siri”.
On all iPhone models, starting with the iPhone 6s, as well as on the iPad Pro, this feature can be used at any time by saying "Hey Siri" so that the gadget's microphones pick it up. On older iPhones and iPads, the Always Listening feature only works when your gadget is plugged into a charger.
How to turn on Siri on headphones
Using an original Apple headset with remote control buttons or compatible Bluetooth headphones, you can activate Siri by pressing the center button or the call button. After the beep, you can make a request.
Using Apple AirPods to launch Siri twice touch the outer surface of any earphone.
Siri on Mac
Siri is available on Mac computers with macOS 10.12 Sierra and newer versions of the operating system. However, at the moment, the functionality of the voice assistant on the poppy is limited. All that Siri can do here is to make FaceTime calls, write messages, turn on music, show the weather forecast and help work with files and folders.
siri on mac It is worth noting that working with files on a computer using a voice assistant is really convenient. Siri can quickly search for files, sort them by type, date, or keyword. For example, if you say to Siri: “Show me my photos from yesterday”, then a folder with the corresponding media files will open.
There are several ways to activate Siri on a Mac:
It is likely that future versions of macOS will have more commands for Siri, including commands for HomeKit. This will be a logical continuation of the integration of Apple's voice assistant into its laptops and desktops.
Siri Features
Siri is a personal assistant that can answer questions, make recommendations, and execute commands. Let's look at some of them.
This is just a small part of everything that Siri can do. You can get acquainted with a large number of commands in our article on commands for Siri. The full list of commands for the voice assistant in iPhones and Home Pod smart speakers can be found in our reference mobile application, which we update regularly. You can download the Siri Commands app for free. By installing it, you will always have at hand the most up-to-date list of commands for the voice assistant.
Since the release of Siri in 2011, Apple users have been waiting for a voice assistant to appear on Mac computers. According to rumors, the personal assistant will become available after the release of OS X 10.12 update this fall. However, you can try some voice commands using the "accessibility" features now.
The method described below will not provide the full functionality of the Apple Voice Assistant. For example, you won’t be able to check the weather forecast or display the results of a football match, but you can use commands like: “Launch iTunes”, “Close Messages”, “New Tab” and so on. Any command is preceded by a passphrase, which performs the same role as "Hey Siri" in iOS.
How to activate voice commands:
- First, open System Preferences, then the Accessibility panel. Scroll all the way down on the left side of the window and select the "Dictation" section.
- Check the box next to Enable Keyword Dictation.
How to add your teams
You don't have to use only OS X preinstalled commands. You can add your own phrases to expand your dictation experience.
- Open "Dictation Commands" in the "Dictation" section.
- A form will appear in which you can select a phrase that is used to trigger a particular action.
- Check the "Enable advanced commands" checkbox.
- Now you should decide whether you want to use the command in a specific application or from anywhere in the system.
- After that, you need to select the action that will be performed after the voice command. The possibilities are almost endless, from launching the desired URL in the browser to pasting a specific piece of text.
Examples of useful commands
Below are some examples of actions for which you should configure commands:
- Insert the most frequently used piece of text or address information.
- Shortcut Ctrl+Shift+3 to take a screenshot.
- Launching the Automator application, which is responsible for executing custom work scripts.
- Insert any predefined data (images or other files).
- Opening the desired folders through the Finder.
The options for action are endless. The main thing is that thanks to dictation, you can forget about many complex keyboard shortcuts and manage them easily and simply with your voice.
macOS Sierra has a feature that many users have been waiting for for years. Siri is now available on Mac. By default, the Siri voice call feature is turned off, but this is an easy fix. How exactly, read on.
So, in order to activate Siri with your voice, you will need to perform a number of simple steps.
1. System settings - Dictation and speech - turn on the Dictation function (note that the Use improved dictation option is also active; thanks to this, the OS will process commands without connecting to the Internet).
2. Main menu - Accessibility - Dictation (in the sidebar) - activation Enable dictation key phrases (thanks to this, you can configure the command for voice activation). Enter the first part of the phrase. You can also activate an alert for successful phrase recognition, as implemented on iOS, or disable audio output during dictation.
4. Next, press the "+" and find the Siri option in the box above the plus sign. On the right side of the window, select the "When I speak" field and enter "Siri" in Russian. Next, select When using any program. Next to the Run box, select Siri using the Open Finder Items option.
Another impetus for purchasing an updated iPhone 6s / 6s Plus was the call of a voice assistant Siri using the phrase "Hey Siri" right in the standby mode. All previous generations of devices also obediently respond to this call, but only when connected to a charger.
open Settings -> Siri and in paragraph Keyboard Shortcuts Press Tune.
2. Our task is to set a keyboard shortcut to activate the assistant. Press any convenient and memorable combination: cmd+3, cmd+9 etc.
3. The next item is to bind a keyboard shortcut to the built-in OS X (and now macOS) function Dictation.
open Settings -> Accessibility and in the side list, select the item Dictation from subsection Interaction.
4. Place a check mark next to , and enter "Hi" as the command word.
Note: Paragraph Enable dictation key phrases may be inactive. In that case, you need to go to Settings -> Keyboard -> Dictation tab and check the box next to Improved dictation. Wait for the package to finish downloading, then return to the item Universal access (item 3) and include the passphrase.
5. Now you need to bind dictation to call the voice assistant Siri. This is done using the command keys mentioned above.
Click on the item Commands for dictation and check the box in the lower left corner Enable advanced commands.
6. Opposite point Using select from the dropdown list Press keyboard shortcut, and in the line When I speak write "Siri".
7. In point Run select the keyboard shortcut you specified for Siri Assistant ( item 2). Click Ready and restart your Mac.
Pay attention to the microphone icon on Taskbars. If after the reboot it is turned off, tap on it and select the item Listen without the obligatory pronunciation of the key phrase. The system will prompt you to reload Improved dictation. Agree and wait for the installation to finish.
Note A: macOS is in beta testing, so "Hey Siri" may not work right away. If after the above settings the assistant refuses to respond to the voice, open Settings -> Accessibility -> Dictation and uncheck and then re-check the box next to the item Enable dictation key phrases And Siri from the menu Commands for dictation.
Now the function Dictation permanently on. All you have to do is say "Hey Siri" and your Mac will launch the voice assistant. This algorithm works very simply: the “Hi” command activates dictation, and the word “Siri” is a key combination that activates the voice assistant.
The voice assistant Siri, already beloved by us on iOS, appeared in it, but you can turn to a smart assistant for help only after pressing a key combination. And sometimes you really want to know what the weather is like or turn on a song without getting up from the couch.
Having rummaged through the settings and smoked foreign forums, I still found a way to launch Siri without resorting to the keyboard.
Step by Step Guide to Set Up Siri Voice Call on Mac
- Open Mac OS Preferences, then Keyboard, and select the Dictation tab. Turn on dictation and check the box "use improved dictation" (this is important).
- Now we return to the original settings menu, go to "accessibility" and select "dictation". Here we need to enter a key phrase, let it be the word "Hi".
- In the same window, click "dictation commands", check the box "enable advanced commands" and press +
- Here in the upper field we enter the word by which our voice assistant will be launched, it is logical that this word will be Siri. We leave the second field unchanged, and in the third one you need to enter the key combination by which the assistant is now starting.
Note: You can find out this combination by clicking "Siri" in settingsMac.
Important: By default, you can call Siri holding keys option And space. But if you want to launch the assistant with your voice, you will have to change the standard combination to any other. The main condition is that there would be no action " hold". That is, you can simply change to pressing option space.
This completes the setup process, now you can say “Hey Siri” and command from a distance.
It is not difficult to guess that in addition to how to call Siri on a Mac with your voice, you can configure the launch of other programs in a similar way, as well as performing many other actions.
This is another way to contact an apple device without using your hands. Of course, this setting will not be useful for everyone, but users who live by the principle “Laziness is the engine of progress” will undoubtedly be interesting to try!)
