Siri was originally introduced by Apple as an iOS application that was available in the App Store. This app was also available for running Android and Blackberry, but Apple canceled all the platforms except iOS after the acquisition of the App Store. Apple announced big news for its users and that was, Siri is an integrated part of Apple’s OS. It was first introduced in Apple iPhone 4S as a feature, but now available in all later iPhones, iPod, iPad, and other touch devices from Apple. This feature is available since iOS5. Now all Apple devices have been gained the full support of Siri.
What is Siri?
Siri is the built-in feature of Apple’s operating system, i.e. iOS, tvOS, and watchOS which work as a personal assistant of the user. This wonderful feature of Apple’s OS uses Natural Language User Interface (NLUI or Computer-Human Interface) for response questions and words that speak by humans to make recommendations. It is the voice recognition system that performs actions and does a number of tasks by sending requests to a number of Web services.
How to use Siri?
We can use Siri by giving commands to it for performing a range of actions. But it is not capable to process our language, speech, and words locally. For this purpose, we need to connect with a 3G or Wi-Fi signal for a remote server, which is used to send commands. For Example, if we ask Siri about weather updates, it will respond to us loudly with weather reports, if we ask Siri to set a reminder for any day, it will remind us loudly on that specific day and time. Like this, we can give commands to Siri for using a range of Apps whatever we want to use. This means this works like a personal assistant.
Because Siri is owned by Apple, therefore it does not support third-party Apps. The features which are currently supported by it include:
- To make and receive calls and video calls
- Messages
- Mails
- Contacts
- Alarms/Timers
- Reminders
- Notes
- Music
- Stock
- Weather
- Web search
- Wikipedia
- To find my friends
How to set up Siri?
There is no need to download and install anything. When you turn on your iPhone, you only need to set a few things which also include Siri. Make sure that choose the Yes option. Go tab Setting then General and then Siri (Setting à General à Siri) to access Siri’s setting.
When you set up Siri first time, you have to select the language. Your options would be English (United States), English (Australia), English (United Kingdom), French, and German.
But this isn’t meant that it can understand your language, it’s also to let your new personal assistant better understand you. Make sure that always use correct language which can better understand and pronounced by you otherwise you can face some difficulties to understand Siri and vice versa. This is because English speaks in the United States, pronounced differently in the United Kingdom and Australia.
After choosing the language according to which language you speak and where you live, you have some other options, Voice Feedback, My Info, and Raise to Speak. In the Voice Feedback option, you would select loudspeakers or a hands-free option. In My Info, you would want to list your names and contact information. Here is the last option that is Raise to Speak. If this option is turned off, you have to press and hold the Home button for talking with Siri, or if you can enable the Raise to Speak option, it automatically lets you able to speak with Siri.
How to secure Siri?
Apple provides quick access to his users, therefore by default, the passcode option is turned off. However, it totally depends on us that how much we want to secure our iPhone or how much we want to quickly access to read messages, make calls, send emails, etc.
A simple passcode just consists of 4 digits. We can turn on the Simple Passcode option by navigating Setting à General àPasscode Lock. If this option will turn off, any stranger can get or stole our important and personal information and data. We should not forget that the iPhone becomes more popular and it is worth it or usage increases day by day, therefore thieves and hackers more attracted to it. But we can save our iPhone by changing its default setting.
What are Siri Commands?
Here is the comprehensive list of some cool, useful, and general Siri commands which can be used for iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Ask it to:
About Phone calls:
“Call my mom on mobile”
“Call Salman”
“Call office”
“Return missed call”
“Redial last number”
“Check the last call”
About Messages:
“Send a message to my bro”
“Send a message to my friend saying ‘Let’s sign the new record deal tonight”
“Send a text to Salman”
“Text my friend”
“Receive a new message”
“Read new messages”
“Delete all read messages”
“Call me on mobile”
“Reply ‘I am not at home now’”
Search Contacts:
“When is my wife’s birthday?”
“What’s Justin’s address?”
“What is my mom’s phone number?”
“Who is Salman Elahi?”
“Show friend‘s office email address”
“Show John Baber”
“Find people named John”
Make a FaceTime Call:
“FaceTime Kamran “
“FaceTime audio John “
“FaceTime video Thomas “
“Make a FaceTime call to Albert “
Send Emails:
“New email to Kamran Tariq”
“Email Thomas and John and say ‘I am going out of town this weekend’”
“Email father about the trip”
“Mail Waleed about the concert tickets”
Check Emails:
“Check email”
“Read my unread emails”
“Do I have any new emails?”
“Any new email from my boss?”
“Show the email from Karen yesterday”
“Show new mail about the games”
How to use Apps with Siri?
There are two choices to be used Apps with Siri. The first choice is that press the Home button and holds it to activate it. After which you can ask Siri to launch something like Open browser, Search contacts, etc. If your device is locked, It will request you to enter your passcode. The second choice is to turn on the option that automatically activates Siri in your device. Now you don’t need to press and hold any button. This choice is very helpful if your hands are filthy and busy, you can easily operate your device with the help of this Personal Assistant. You can set up this by navigating Setting à General à Siri and then enables the Raise to Speak option.