Introduction
I’m thrilled to present you with Siri For Dummies, your definitive guide to unlocking the power of your favorite Apple gadget’s voice-activated personal assistant.
Throughout these chapters, you find out how to take full advantage of Siri’s awesome abilities — in a language you can understand. Yes, you can put away your geek-to-English dictionary, because you won’t need it here.
Siri For Dummies covers all the things you can do on the iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad (third- and fourth-generation, and iPad mini), or fifth-generation iPod touch — via your voice — ranging from productivity and connectivity features to information, calculation, and navigation. And of course, you see examples of the various responses you can expect through Siri.
About This Book
This book was meant to be read in any order. Sure, you can flip through it from beginning to end if you prefer a more linear read, starting with the introduction on what Siri is, its history, and how to use this remarkable tool. Alternatively, you can jump from chapter to chapter if one topic interests you more than another.
Each chapter can stand on its own, so you won’t miss anything by reading out of order. (Aren’t you a rebel!)
Of course, individual chapters focus on something specific Siri can do — such as transcribing your e-mails or finding a good Italian restaurant — with clear, step-by-step instructions on how to get the best results from your voice commands.
Because Siri is so versatile, you can often ask or instruct Siri to perform tasks in different ways than I’ve highlighted — not to mention the fact that you just might get a different response. The idea here is that you can use this book as a loose guide if you feel like experimenting with Siri’s abilities or stick to the same phrasing as I used. It’s really your call.
I also suggest ways to get what you need from Siri in the shortest number of steps, but you may prefer a more back-and-forth exchange with Siri if you’re in the mood for a conversation. Hey, we all get bored or lonely at times; Siri can keep you company with small talk, stories, and cheeky comebacks to your requests.
Just as sections of this book are divided by individual task, there are a few subtopics within each chapter. For example, Chapter 6 is about how Siri can get you information you may need — but this chapter is broken up into definitions, fast facts, mathematical equations, stock and currency info, and voice-driven web searches. You get the idea.
In some cases, I cross-reference subjects with topics from other chapters when relevant, but you can ignore them if you like.
How to Use This Book
Consider Siri For Dummies a reference book. Therefore, you can start by thumbing through specific topics in the Table of Contents and then go to a particular chapter that interests you.
Although the book is meant to be informative, the tone is conversational. The only exception is the step-by-step instructions on performing the tasks in question. That is, when talking with friends in person I don’t typically say things like, “Step 1 is to press such and such; Step 2 is to say this and that,” and so on — but a For Dummies book helps by outlining the necessary steps required to perform actions.
Keep in mind that you’ll probably benefit most from this book if you keep your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch on hand while reading. That way, you can try out all of Siri’s features on the spot.
What You Can Safely Ignore
When you come across a section within a chapter that contains the steps you need to take to get something done, you can disregard all text accompanying each step (the text that isn’t in bold) if you’re tight on time or don’t want to read through more material. I won’t be offended, really. Take what you need and ignore the rest.
As much as possible, I’ve also added various tips and tricks to getting the most out of Siri, along with a handful of optional “didya know?” tidbits. For example, Siri wasn’t designed to let you update Twitter or Facebook using your voice, but I discovered a smart way around it.
But you don’t need to wade through these factoids or ancillary abilities of Siri if you prefer to stick to the basics. Most of these extra paragraphs are labeled with Technical Stuff or Tip icons (see the “Icons Used in This Book” section). Then again, you may be more interested in these “sides” than the main course. (I’m sometimes like that when I visit my favorite deli.)
If you’re more interested in finding out how Siri can help you remain productive when you do all the serious things you need to do on a day-to-day basis, you can also safely ignore Chapter 8, which focuses on fun and quirky things you can ask or say to Siri.
Also note that there are a lot of screen captures in this book. After all, Siri For Dummies is all about what you can say to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, and what Siri will do, say, or display in response. Therefore, I want to show you as much visual information as possible, whether you have your smartphone or tablet nearby or not.
Foolish Assumptions
I’ll make only two major assumptions: You own an iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, newer iPad, iPad mini, or iPod touch, and want to know how to get the most out of Siri.
When I write about speaking into your iPad, I’m referring to all Siri-supported models (the third- and fourth-generation 9.7-inch iPad and the 7.9-inch iPad mini) unless otherwise specified.
By the time you read this book, however, Siri might be a feature in other Apple products — such as the fifth-generation iPad, iPhone 6, and maybe even Mac-based computers or television products. So although I focus exclusively on the two latest iPhones and new iPads (including iPad mini), expect to see Siri expand to other products over the coming months and years.
On that note, throughout this book you’ll see when Siri tasks are tailored to a specific Apple product, such as making calls on an iPhone instead of an iPad or iPod touch. I’ll call them out to you ahead of time, though.
And as I make clear in the very next chapter, this is just the beginning of Siri. This voice-activated personal assistant will expand its abilities over time, too, so don’t assume this is all Siri can do! The best, as they say, is yet to come. But this book covers everything you need to know right now.
Siri isn’t available as a download for iPhones that came out before iPhone 4S, nor can it be used on the first two iPad models or older iPod touch. That is, you might be the proud owner of an iPhone 4 or second-generation iPad, but despite a few hacks you might read about online, there’s no official Siri for these devices. Plus, you may have already sampled the Voice Control feature on previous iPhones or iPod touches, which let you control your music with your voice. This is also folded into Siri, but is just a fraction of what your new personal assistant can do.
Icons Used in This Book
The following icons are placed in the margins of the book’s pages to point out stuff you may or may not want to read.
This icon warns you of geeky descriptions or explanations you may want to pass on — but don’t expect a lot of these throughout this easy-to-read handbook.
This icon offers suggestions to enhancing your experience. Most are tied to the topic at hand, while others are more general in nature.
This icon reminds you of important information related to Siri. This info may have been covered previously in the book, but I thought it would be a good idea to refresh your memory.
Siri can be a powerful tool to getting information or getting things done, but this icon alerts you to important considerations when using Siri — including health, safety, or security concerns.
Where to Go from Here
If you’ve never used an Apple iOS product — perhaps you purchased this book in anticipation of buying one or receiving the phone, tablet, or media player as a gift — become familiar with the basic features of your device before having Siri perform tasks for you.
For example, you may try to interact with the Calendar app — with your fingertips — before turning to Siri to help you out. You not only gain a better understanding of what Siri is doing for you, but also gain a deeper appreciation of how Siri can speed up and simplify these tasks!
Occasionally, we have updates to our technology books. If this book does have any technical updates, they will be posted at dummies.com/go/sirifordummiesupdates.
That’s it. As you can see, you don’t need much to begin reading Siri For Dummies — just a desire to save time and aggravation while using your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. And as you find out in the final chapter, a sense of humor doesn’t hurt either.