2. Using Siri, Dictation, and CarPlay to Interact with Your Mobile Device
In This Chapter
Introduce yourself to Siri
How to use Siri with your iPhone or iPad
Use the Dictation feature as an alternative to the virtual keyboard
Use your iPhone “Siri Eyes Free” with CarPlay in your vehicle
Siri is designed to be a virtual assistant that responds to commands, questions, and requests that you say, as opposed to type into your mobile device. Siri has access to the content stored in your iPhone or iPad, as well as an arsenal of Internet-based resources that can be used to quickly gather information that you need within seconds after you state your request.
Siri is constantly evolving. The biggest iOS 8 enhancement is the “Hey Siri” feature. When your iPhone or iPad is plugged in to an external power source, simply say, “Hey Siri,” to activate Siri. When you do this, the familiar, “What can I help you with?” screen appears and you hear Siri’s “ready” tone.
Of course, you can also press and hold down the Home button for 2 seconds or turn on the Raise to Speak feature on your iPhone to activate Siri.
It’s possible to deactivate this feature from the Siri menu within Settings. Simply turn off the virtual switch that’s associated with the Allow “Hey Siri” option.
Thanks to Siri, instead of having to utilize the touchscreen to interact with your phone or tablet, simply use your voice and speak using normal sentences after the feature has been activated. There are no commands to memorize.
It’s important to realize that Siri does not understand everything, and this feature does have its limitations in terms of what it can do and which apps it works with. When you get accustomed to working with Siri, however, this feature can make you more efficient when using your iPhone or iPad.
In addition to using cutting-edge voice recognition, Siri uses advanced artificial intelligence, so it doesn’t just understand what you say, it interprets and comprehends what you mean, and then translates your speech to text. And if you don’t initially provide the information Siri needs to complete your request or command, you’re prompted for more information.
Tip
To get the most out of the Siri feature, turn on your iOS device’s master Location Services functionality, and then make sure Location Services is set up to work with Siri.
To do this, launch Settings, tap on the Privacy option, and then tap on the Location Services option. Turn on the virtual switch that’s associated with Location Services, as well as the virtual switch that’s associated with the Siri option.
What You Should Know Before Using Siri
For Siri to operate, your phone or tablet must have access to the Internet via a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. Every time you make a request or issue a command to Siri, your iOS mobile device connects to Apple’s data center. Thus, if you’re using a cellular data connection, some of your monthly wireless data allocation gets used up (if cellular data allocation, such as 2GB per month, is imposed by your wireless service provider).
Tip
Because a Wi-Fi connection is typically significantly faster than a cellular data connection, Siri often responds faster to your requests and commands when you use a Wi-Fi connection.
You should also understand that heavy use of the Internet, especially when connected via a cellular data connection, depletes the battery life of the iPhone or iPad faster. So, if you constantly rely on Siri throughout the day, the battery life of your device will be shorter.
Caution
If your iPhone or iPad is placed in Airplane mode (and Wi-Fi connectivity is turned off), Siri does not function. You’ll receive a verbal message stating that Siri is unavailable.
Customizing Siri
To customize the Siri feature, launch Settings, tap on the General option, and then tap on the Siri option. From the Siri submenu (shown in Figure 2.1), there’s a master switch for turning on/off this feature. You can also turn on/off the “Hey Siri” function with the virtual switch that’s labeled Voice Activation.
FIGURE 2.1 You can customize Siri from within Settings. This needs to be done only once; however, you can alter these settings whenever you wish.
Tap the Language option to select your native language, and then tap on the Voice Gender option to choose between giving Siri a male or female voice. Siri functions the same as a male or female, so which voice you choose is a matter of personal preference.
The Voice Feedback option enables you to control whether Siri speaks its responses to each request, or just displays related content on the iPhone or iPad’s screen. When using the hands-free capabilities of Siri in your car, no content is displayed on the screen. Siri says everything, so you can keep your eyes on the road.
It’s important that Siri be able to greet you properly. Thus, tap on the My Info option and then select your own entry from your Contacts database. Within this entry, be sure to include as much information as possible because Siri uses this information to assist you. For example, if you have a Home and Work address in your own Contacts entry, from anywhere you are, you can activate Siri and say, “How do I get home from here?” or “How do I get to work from here?,” and Siri knows exactly where you’re talking about.
Tip
By default, Siri addresses you by your first name, based on the information in your own Contacts entry. However, at anytime, you can activate Siri and say, “Siri, call me [insert nickname].” Siri remembers your request and addresses you by that name in the future.
At the bottom of the Siri menu on the iPhone, the Raise To Speak option is listed. When the switch is turned on, Siri automatically activates when you pick up the phone and hold it up to your ear.
Tip
Siri also utilizes information stored in the Related Name fields as you create or edit a contact in the Contacts app. By tapping on this field, you can add a relationship title, such as mother, father, brother, or sister. Then, when using Siri, if you say, “Call Mom at home,” Siri knows exactly to whom you’re referring. Otherwise, if you activate Siri and say, “Call my mom at home,” the first time you use Siri for this task, you’re asked who your mother is. As long as you have a Contact entry for your mother stored in the Contacts app, when you say your mother’s real name, Siri links the appropriate contact and remembers this information. This applies to any nickname or title you have for other people, such as “wife,” “son,” “mother,” “dad,” or even “Uncle Jack.”
Ways to Activate Siri
If you want to use the Siri feature, you first must activate it. There are five ways to do this:
Use the “Hey Siri” function when your iOS mobile device is plugged in. As long as your iPhone or iPad is turned on, anytime you say, “Hey Siri,” the device activates Siri. This works when the device is in Sleep mode but not when the iPhone or iPad is powered off altogether.
Press and hold the Home button on your iPhone or iPad for 2 seconds.
Pick up your iPhone and hold it up to your ear. Siri activates automatically, assuming this feature has been turned on in Settings.
Press and hold the Call button on your wireless Bluetooth headset that is paired with your iPhone or iPad. This enables you to speak to Siri on your device from up to 30 feet away.
If you’re using Apple EarPods or an original Apple headset (headphones), press the middle button on the controls found on the cable.
If you’re using your iOS device with a Bluetooth headset, when you activate Siri, to the right of the microphone icon will be a Bluetooth icon. Tap on it to choose between using the iPhone’s built-in microphone or your headset’s microphone when talking to Siri.
When Siri is activated, the message, “What can I help you with?” displays on the screen, along with a circular microphone icon. You’ll simultaneously hear Siri’s activation tone. As you’re speaking, the microphone icon transforms into an animated sound wave graphic (shown in Figure 2.2).
FIGURE 2.2 When Siri is activated, the “What can I help you with?” message appears, and you hear Siri’s activation tone.
Do not start speaking to Siri until this tone is heard. Then, you have about 5 seconds to begin speaking before the microphone deactivates. To reactivate it, simply tap on the microphone icon or repeat one of the previously mentioned steps.
As soon as you hear Siri’s activation tone, speak your question, command, or request. For the most accurate results when using Siri, speak directly into the iPhone, iPad, or headset. Try to avoid being in areas with excessive background noise. Also, speak as clearly as possible so Siri can understand each word in your sentences.
Discover How Siri Can Help You
The great thing about Siri is that you don’t have to think too much about how you phrase a command, question, or request. Siri automatically interprets what you say.
What’s New
When you’re in a quiet area, you can press and hold down the Home button for 2 seconds to activate Siri, and then speak your question, command, or request. Simply stop speaking when you’re finished, and Siri responds accordingly.
However, if you’re in a noisy area, Siri might have trouble determining when you’ve stopped speaking. To avoid this problem, press and hold down the Home button as you speak to Siri. When you’re finished speaking, release the Home button so Siri can process your request.
To get the most out of using Siri—with the least amount of frustration as a result of Siri not being able to comply with your requests—you must develop a basic understanding of which apps this feature works with and how Siri can be used with those apps.
In general, Siri can be used with most of the apps that come preinstalled with iOS 8, plus Siri can find information on the Internet by performing web searches. You can use Dictation mode, however, in any app where the microphone key appears on the iPhone or iPad’s virtual keyboard.
Note
Dictation mode offers an easy way to speak into your iPhone or iPad and have what you say translated into text and inserted into the app you’re using, instead of typing.
The following sections provide a sampling of what Siri can be used for and tips for how to use Siri effectively. Apple and third-party app developers are continuously working to upgrade Siri’s capabilities, so you might discover additional functionality as you begin using Siri with various apps.
Siri Quick Tips
Siri is one of the few features that work from the Lock screen. Thus, even if you have the Passcode Lock feature turned on, someone can potentially pick up your device and access your data using Siri without your permission. To keep this from happening, set up the Passcode feature on your device. Then, turn off the Siri option in the TouchID & Passcode options of the Settings app.
Siri can be used to verbally launch any app. To do this, activate Siri and say, “Launch [app name].” If it’s a game you want to play, simply say, “Play [game name].” Another option is to say, “Open [app name].”
For more information about how Siri can be used, activate Siri and say, “What can you do?” or tap on the Help (“?”) icon that’s displayed on the screen when Siri is activated.
What’s New
Siri is compatible with FaceTime, Messages, Calendar, Maps, Twitter, Facebook, Music, Mail, Weather, Stocks, Clock, Contacts, Notes, Settings, Safari, iTunes, iBooks, and Podcasts. By accessing the Internet, Siri can also respond to requests related to almost anything having to do with sports, movies, restaurants, music, or stocks.
Plus, Siri can look up information when you pose almost any type of question or can be used to verbally control almost any iPhone/iPad-related feature that’s adjustable from within Settings or Control Center. For example, you can activate Siri and say, “Turn on Airplane mode.” or “Turn off Do Not Disturb.”
Find, Display, or Use Information Related to Your Contacts
Your Contacts database can store a vast amount of information about people or companies. Every field within a Contact’s entry is searchable and can be accessed by Siri. Or you can ask Siri to look up a specific contact for you and display that contact’s Info screen.
Again, the more information you include in each entry stored in your Contacts database, the more helpful Siri can be. To have Siri look up and display information stored in Contacts, say something like the following:
“Look up John Doe in Contacts.”
“What is John Doe’s phone number?”
“What is John Doe’s home phone number?” (See Figure 2.3.)
FIGURE 2.3 When you ask, “What is John Doe’s home phone number?” the appropriate number from your Contacts database displays. Tap it to initiate a call from your iPhone.
“What is John Doe’s work address?”
“Where does John Doe live?”
“Where does John Doe work?”
Tip
When Siri displays the Info screen for a Contact, it is interactive; therefore, you can tap on a displayed phone number to initiate a call (iPhone only), or tap on an email address to launch the Mail app to send email to that address. If you tap on a regular address, the Maps app launches, and if you tap on a website URL, Safari launches and opens that web page.
Siri can also use information stored in your Contacts database to comply with various other requests, such as
“Send John Doe a text message”—This works if you have an iPhone-labeled phone number or iMessage username or email address saved in John Doe’s Contacts entry. On the iPhone, it also works with the phone’s SMS text messaging feature if you have a phone number in someone’s Contacts entry that’s associated with the “mobile” label.
“Send John Doe an email”—This works if you have an email address saved in John Doe’s Contacts entry.
“How do I get to John Doe’s home?”—This works if you have a home address saved in John Doe’s Contacts entry. The Maps app launches, and directions from your current location are displayed.
“When is John Doe’s birthday?”—This works if you have a date saved in the Birthday field in John Doe’s Contacts entry.
“What is John Doe’s wife’s name?”—This works if you have a spouse’s name saved in John Doe’s Contacts entry.
Initiate a Call
On the iPhone, you can initiate a call by activating Siri and then saying, “Call [name] at home,” or “Call [name] at work.” This works if that person has a Contacts entry associated with their name, as well as a phone number labeled Home or Work, respectively. You could also say, “Call [name]’s mobile phone,” or “Call [name]’s iPhone.” If you just use the command call, and that person has several phone numbers in their Contacts entry, Siri gives you the option to select which number you want to call.
If you request someone’s work phone number and Siri finds a contact’s name but not a corresponding phone number, Siri responds with, “There is no work number for John Doe in your contacts.” This is followed by a listing of whichever phone numbers are available for that contact.
Note
When issuing a command to Siri, you have flexibility in terms of what you say. For example, say, “Call John Doe at work,” “Call John Doe work,” or “Call the work number for John Doe,” and in all these cases, Siri initiates a call to John Doe’s work number.
Alternatively, if someone’s contact information or phone number is not stored in your iPhone, you can say, “Call” or “Dial” followed by each digit of a phone number. Thus, you’d say, “Call 212 555 1212.”
Tip
You can also ask Siri to look up a business phone number or address by saying, “Look up [business name] in [city, state].” Or, you could say, “Look up [business type, such as a dry cleaner] in [city, state].”
On the iPhone, when Siri finds the phone number you’re looking for, Siri says, “Calling [name] at [location],” and then automatically initiates a call to that number by launching the Phone app. Siri also has the capability to initiate FaceTime video calls. Use a command, such as, “FaceTime with [name].”
Tip
On the iPhone or iPad, Siri works with FaceTime, so you can say, “FaceTime Natalie,” or “Make a FaceTime call to Natalie” to initiate a video call. You can also use FaceTime to initiate an audio-only call by saying, “Make a FaceTime audio call to Natalie.”
Find Your Friends
The optional Find My Friends app is available free from the App Store. If you install it and begin following friends, coworkers, or family members (with their permission), at any time, you can ask Siri, “Where is [name]?” or say, “Find [name],” and Siri finds that person and displays a map showing that person’s exact whereabouts. This feature is great for keeping tabs on your kids or teenagers, especially if they miss a curfew or claim to be studying at the library on a Friday evening.
For this feature to work, however, you must be logged in to your free Find My Friends account via the app.
Caution
If you’re using the Find My Friends app to track your kid’s whereabouts, be sure to activate the Restrictions feature on their iOS device so they cannot deactivate the Find My Friends app. To do this, launch Settings, tap on the General option, and then select the Restrictions option. Adjust the Location Services feature and the Find My Friends feature so your child can’t change those settings.
Set Up Reminders and To-Do Items
If you constantly jot down reminders to yourself on scrap pieces of paper or sticky notes, or manually enter to-do items into the Reminders app, this is one Siri-related feature you’ll truly appreciate.
To create a reminder (to be utilized by the Reminders app), complete with an alarm, simply activate Siri and say something like, “Remind me to pick up my dry cleaning tomorrow at 3 p.m.” Siri then creates the to-do item, displays it on the screen for your approval, and then saves it in the Reminders app. At the appropriate time and day, an alarm sounds and the reminder message is displayed.
Tip
When creating a Reminder using Siri, you can provide a specific date and time, such as “tomorrow at 3 p.m.” or “Friday at 1 p.m.” or “July 7th at noon.” You can also include a location that Siri knows, such as “Home” or “Work.” For example, you could say, “Remind me to feed the dog when I get home,” or “Remind me to call Emily when I get to work.”
Read or Send Text Messages
When you receive a new text message but can’t look at the screen (such as when you’re driving), activate Siri and say, “Read new text message.” After Siri reads the incoming message, you’re given the opportunity to reply to that message and dictate your response.
Using Siri with the Messages app, you can also compose and send a text/instant message to anyone in your Contacts database by saying something like, “Compose a text message to John Doe.”
You are asked to select an email address or mobile phone number to use. To bypass this step, say, “Send a text message to John Doe’s mobile phone,” or “Send a text message to John Doe’s iPhone.” Then, Siri says, “What do you want to say to John Doe?” Dictate your text message.
When you’re finished speaking, Siri says, “I updated your message. Ready to send it?” The transcribed message is displayed on the screen, along with Cancel and Send icons. You can tap an icon or speak your reply.
Check the Weather or Your Investments
The Weather app can display an extended weather forecast for your immediate area or any city in the world, and the Stocks app (on the iPhone) can be used to track your investments. However, Siri has the capability to automatically access the Web and obtain weather information for any city, as well as stock-related information about any stock or mutual fund.
After activating Siri, ask a weather-related question, such as
“What is today’s weather forecast?”—Siri pinpoints your location and provides a current forecast.
“What is the weather forecast for New York City?”—Of course, you can insert any city and state in your request.
“Is it going to rain tomorrow?”—Siri accesses and interprets the weather forecast, and then vocalizes, as well as displays a response. Siri determines your current location before providing a forecast.
“Should I bring an umbrella to work?”—Siri knows the location of your work and can access and then interpret the weather forecast to offer a vocalized and displayed response.
If you have stock-related questions (using the iPhone or iPad), you can ask about specific stocks by saying something like
“What is [company name]’s stock at?”
“What is [company]’s stock price?”
“How is [company name]’s stock performing?”
“Show me [company name] stock.”
When you request stock information, you get a verbal response from Siri along with information about that stock displayed on the iPhone or iPad’s screen, as you can see in Figure 2.4.
Find Information on the Web or Get Answers to Questions
If you want to perform a web search, you can manually launch the Safari browser, and then use a keyboard to find what you’re looking for in the Search field. Or, you can ask Siri to perform the search for you by saying something like
“Look up the [company] website.”
“Access the website cnn.com.”
“Find [topic] on the web.”
“Search the web for [topic].”
“Google information about [topic].”
“Search Wikipedia for [topic].”
“Bing [topic].” (Bing is a popular search engine operated by Microsoft.)
You also can ask a question, and Siri seeks out the appropriate information on the Web.
When you ask Siri a question that requires your iPhone or iPad to seek out the answer on the Internet, this is done through Apple using Wolfram Alpha. To learn more about the vast topics you can ask Siri about, from unit conversions to historical data, visit www.wolframalpha.com/examples.
Schedule and Manage Meetings and Events
Like many of the apps that come preinstalled with iOS 8, the Calendar app is fully compatible with Siri, which means it’s possible to use Siri to create or modify appointments, meetings, or events by using your voice. To do this, some of the things you can say include
“Set up a meeting at 10:30 a.m.”
“Set up a meeting with Ryan at noon tomorrow.”
“Meet with Emily for lunch at 1 p.m.”
“Set up a meeting with Rusty about third-quarter sales projections at 4 p.m. on December 12th.”
Tip
Siri can also be used to reschedule or cancel events in the Calendar app. For example, you could say, “Move my 2 p.m. meeting to 4:00 p.m.,” or “Cancel my 6:00 p.m. dinner with Rusty.”
To obtain an overview of your schedule, ask a question like, “What does the rest of my day look like?,” or “When is my next appointment?” You can ask about a specific event as well, by asking, “When is my next meeting with Kevin?” or “Where is my next meeting?”
Siri can also tap the Calendar and Maps app simultaneously if you ask a question like, “How do I get to my next meeting?” This works if you’ve filled in the Location field when creating an event in the Calendar app.
Send Email and Access New (Incoming) Email
If you want to compose an email to someone, activate Siri and say, “Send an email to [name].” If that person’s email address is listed in your Contacts database, Siri addresses a new message to that person. Siri then says, “What is the subject of your email?” Speak the subject line for your email. When you stop speaking, Siri says, “Okay, what would you like the email to say?” You can now dictate the body of your email message.
When you’re finished speaking, Siri composes the message, displays it on the screen, and then says, “Here is your email to [name]. Ready to send it?” You can now respond “yes” to send the email message, or say “cancel” to abort the message. If the message isn’t what you want to say, you can edit it using the virtual keyboard, or ask Siri to “Change the text to…”.
Set an Alarm or Timer
Siri can control the Clock app that comes preinstalled on your iOS device so that it serves as an alarm clock or timer. You can say something like, “Set an alarm for 7:30 a.m. tomorrow” or “Set a recurring wakeup call for 7:30 a.m.” to create a new alarm. Or, to set a 30-minute timer, say, “Set a timer for 30 minutes.” A countdown timer is displayed on the iPhone or iPad’s screen, and an alarm sounds when the timer reaches zero.
You can also simply ask Siri, “What’s today’s date?” or “What time is it?” if you’re too busy to look at the iPhone or iPad’s screen, such as when you’re driving.
Get Directions Using the Maps App
Pretty much any feature you can use the Maps app for—whether it’s to find the location or phone number for a business, obtain turn-by-turn directions between two addresses, or map out a specific address location—you can access using Siri.
To use Maps-related functions, say things like the following:
“How do I get to [location]?”
“Show [address].”
“Directions to [contact name or location].”
“Find a [business type, such as gas station] near [location].”
“Find a [business or service name, such as Starbucks Coffee] near where I am.”
“Where is the closest [business type, such as post office]?”
“Find a [cuisine type, such as Chinese] restaurant near me.”
If multiple businesses or locations are found that are directly related to your request, Siri asks you to select one, or all related matches are displayed on a detailed map.
Control the Music App
In the mood to hear a specific song that’s stored on your iPhone or iPad? Maybe you want to begin playing a specific playlist, you want to hear all the music stored on your iOS device by a particular artist, or you want to play a specific album? Well, just ask Siri. You can control the Music app using your voice by saying things like the following:
“Play [song title].”
“Play [album title].”
“Play [playlist title].”
“Play [artist’s name].”
“Play [music genre, such as pop, rock, or blues].”
You can also issue specific commands, such as “Shuffle my [title] playlist,” or speak commands, such as “Pause” or “Skip” as music is playing. However, Siri is unable to search for and display song or album listings. For example, if you say, “Show music,” or “Show song playlists,” Siri responds by saying, “Sorry, [your name], I can’t search that content.” Thus, to use Siri to control your music, you must know what music is stored on your iPhone or iPad.
Forget Sticky Notes—Dictate Notes to Yourself
The Notes app that comes preinstalled with iOS 8 is used to compose notes using a text editor (as opposed to a full-featured word processor, such as Pages or Microsoft Word). Siri is compatible with the Notes app and enables you to create and dictate notes.
To create a new note, activate Siri and begin a sentence by saying, “Note that I… “ You can also say, “Note: [sentence].” What you dictate is saved as a new note in the Notes app.
Note
When using the Siri or dictation feature, your iPhone or iPad can capture and process up to 30 seconds of your speech at a time.
Siri Knows All About Sports, Movies, and Restaurants, Too
If you’re looking for the latest scores related to your favorite professional team or sporting event, just ask Siri. It’s also possible to ask sports-related questions and then have Siri quickly research the answers via the Internet. When it comes to sports, here are some sample questions or requests you can use with Siri:
“Did the Yankee’s win their last game?”
“What was the score of last night’s Patriots game?”
“What was the score the last time the Yankees and Red Sox played?”
“Show me the baseball scores from last night.”
“When do the Dallas Cowboys play next?”
“Who has the most home runs on the New York Mets?”
“Show me the roster for the Patriots.”
“Are any of the Bruins players currently injured?”
When it comes to movies, Siri can also help you decide what to go see, determine where movies are playing, look up movie times, and provide details about almost any movie ever made. Here are some sample questions or requests you can use with Siri that relate to movies:
“Where is [movie title] playing?”
“What’s playing at [movie theater].”
“Who directed the movie [movie title].”
“Show me the cast from [movie title].”
“What’s playing at the movies tonight?”
“Find the closest movie theater.”
“Show me the reviews for [movie title].”
“What movie won Best Picture in [year]?”
“Buy two tickets to see [movie title] tonight at the [movie theater name].”
If you’re looking to try out a new restaurant or want to learn more about a local dining establishment, Siri knows all about restaurants too. Plus, thanks to Yelp! and Open Table integration, you can view detailed information about restaurants, make dining reservations, or read reviews.
Here are some examples of how Siri can be used when you want to know more about restaurants:
“Where’s the closest Japanese restaurant?
“Find a good Italian restaurant in Boston.”
“Table for two at Palm Restaurant in Boston for 7 p.m.”
“Show me reviews for [restaurant name] in [city].”
As you can see from Figure 2.5, when Siri locates restaurant information, thanks to Yelp!, details about that establishment, including it’s location, phone number, hours of operation, entree price range, and a star-based rating, are displayed.
FIGURE 2.5 The restaurant information Siri displays is interactive. For example, tap on the phone number to initiate a call to that restaurant or tap on the listed address to launch the Maps app and get detailed directions.
More Siri Quick Tips
Siri is a mathematical genius. Simply say the mathematical calculation you need solved, and Siri presents the answer in seconds. For example, say, “What is 10 plus 10?”, “What’s the square root of 24?”, or “What is 20 percent of 500?” This feature is particularly useful for helping you calculate the server’s tip when you receive the check at a restaurant.
When asking Siri to look up businesses, landmarks, popular destinations, or restaurants, in addition to just displaying a location on a map, Siri integrates with the Yelp! online service to provide much more detailed information about many businesses and restaurants.
Send a Tweet or update your Facebook status using your voice. Activate Siri and say something like, “Send a Tweet that says, ’I am at Starbucks, come join me.’” To update your Facebook status, say something like, “Write on my wall, ’I just landed in New York City and I am leaving the airport now.’”
When dictating a Tweet, you can add the phrase, “Tweet with my location,” to have Siri publish your current location with the outgoing Tweet you’re dictating.
If you need to turn on or off certain iPhone or iPad features, activate Siri and say, “Turn on Wi-Fi” or “Turn off Bluetooth.”
In addition to controlling the Music app, Siri can be used to verbally control iTunes Radio. Start with a command like, “Launch iTunes Radio,” after you’ve activated this service from the Music app.
Practice (with Siri) Makes Perfect
Right from the start, Siri will probably understand most of what you say. However, as you begin using this feature often, you will become acquainted with the best and most efficient ways to communicate questions, commands, and requests to generate the desired response.
Keep in mind that Siri translates what you say phonetically, so periodically, you might encounter names or commands that Siri can’t understand or match up with correctly spelled information stored on your iPhone or iPad. This occurs most frequently with unusual names that sound vastly different from how they’re spelled or used.
Caution
Before allowing Siri to send any message or text, be sure to proofread it carefully on your device’s screen. Keep in mind that some words sound the same when spoken, and Siri might choose the wrong word when translating your speech to text. This could lead to embarrassing situations or dramatically change the meaning of what you intended to say.
Siri can streamline how you interact with your device and make certain tasks much easier to accomplish. Based on the questions you ask, you might also discover that Siri has a sense of humor. For example, try asking, “Siri, what do you look like?”, “Siri, are you attractive?”, or “What is the best smartphone on the market?”
Use Dictation Mode Instead of the Virtual Keyboard
Even if you’re using an app that Siri is not yet compatible with, chances are you can still use your iPhone or iPad’s Dictation mode. In many situations when the iPhone or iPad’s virtual keyboard appears, a microphone key is located to the left of the spacebar. When you tap on this microphone key, Dictation mode is activated (shown in Figure 2.6). An animated sound wave graphic displays on the screen as you speak.
FIGURE 2.6 Use Dictation mode to enter text using your voice, instead of typing on the virtual keyboard.
You can now say whatever text you were going to manually type using the virtual keyboard. You can speak for up to 30 seconds at a time. When you’re finished speaking, it’s necessary to tap the Done key so that your device can translate your speech into text and insert it into the appropriate onscreen field.
For the fastest and most accurate results, speak one to three sentences at a time, and have your device connected to a Wi-Fi Internet connection.
While using Dictation mode, you can easily add punctuation just by saying it. For example, you can say, “This is a sample dictation period,” and Siri adds the period (“.”) at the end of the sentence. You can also use words like “open parenthesis” or “close parenthesis,” “open quotes” or “close quotes,” or “comma,” “semicolon,” or “colon” as you dictate.
Connect or Link Your iPhone to Your Car to Use the CarPlay Feature
Over the past few years, Apple has worked with several dozen car manufacturers to integrate the iPhone with the stereo system or infotainment system that’s built in to many vehicles. This functionality varies depending on the make, model, and year of your car.
In some cases, if your vehicle is CarPlay compatible, there is a Lightning port for your iPhone built in to the car. When you plug in your iPhone, your smartphone charges, plus it integrates directly with the car’s in-dash infotainment system. This enables you to tap the iPhone’s navigation capabilities, Siri functionality, and music capabilities by pressing the CarPlay button that’s built in to your steering wheel or dashboard, for example.
In other cases, your vehicle establishes a wireless Bluetooth connection with your car and enables you to play music that’s stored in your iPhone via your car’s stereo or use the Phone feature to make and receive calls hands-free while you’re driving.
Every vehicle manufacturer is implementing iPhone integration differently, and this functionality is only built in to 2013, 2014, or 2015 model year vehicles. If you have an older car, you must use third-party accessories to link your iPhone to the vehicle.
Typically, when you use Siri, information that’s requested is displayed on the iOS device’s screen. Siri Eyes Free, however, offers much of the same functionality as Siri but turns off the iPhone’s screen altogether. Thus, it offers only verbal responses to a user’s requests, commands, and questions.
Siri Eyes Free offers a solution to drivers who must pay attention to the road yet want to access content from their Internet-connected iOS mobile device to initiate calls, look up information, access email or text messages, or obtain turn-by-turn driving directions to a specific location.
When an iPhone is paired with a compatible car, you can press the Siri or voice recognition button that’s built in to your steering wheel or your car’s in-dash infotainment system. This activates Siri Eyes Free on the iPhone while the phone remains in your pocket, purse, or glove compartment. There is never a need for you to even momentarily divert your eyes to the phone’s screen.
Thanks to Siri Eyes Free, all compatible cars now have access to GPS navigation; can utilize Internet connectivity; and be used for a growing selection of voice-activated tasks, such as accessing weather forecasts, finding nearby gas stations, looking up or adding appointments, obtaining sports scores, locating nearby restaurants, and playing music that’s stored on the iOS device.
Siri Eyes Free does not handle features that would ordinarily require Siri to display content on the screen. For example, if you ask for a weather forecast, Siri Eyes Free says the current temperature but does not display a graphic-intensive extended forecast on the screen.
Likewise, Siri Eyes Free can read aloud an incoming email or text message and allow a response to be verbally created, but the message does not appear on your screen as you’re driving.
When using Siri Eyes Free and CarPlay functionality, handling certain tasks, such as initiating a call, are straightforward.
Other tasks that you can utilize via Siri, such as finding a restaurant and then making a reservation or accessing movie listings and finding the closet theater that’s playing a certain movie, are handled slightly differently using Siri Eyes Free. For example, if you ask a question such as, “What does the state flag of Massachusetts look like?”, Siri displays the flag on the iPhone’s screen, but Siri Eyes Free informs you that the requested task is not possible while you’re driving.
Any time you leave your vehicle or manually activate a Bluetooth headset to use with your iPhone, Siri Eyes Free automatically deactivates and gives you full access to all of Siri’s regular features, including the full use of the iPhone’s touchscreen.
What’s New
If you plan to invest in an Apple Watch in early 2015, you will have full access to Siri from the watch when it is linked to your iPhone. The Dictation feature can also be used directly from the Apple Watch to dictate text messages, for example.