Siri is one of the best Apple features on its devices. Siri is a voice assistant with various abilities to help iPhone users. How to use Siri is simply easy to do, especially if you’re an Apple fan. The Siri voice assistant is one such feature found in the most recent iPhone models. This feature allows you to use Siri on your phone even if you don’t have a free hand.
Siri allows users to communicate with their phones via voice commands, which can be useful while driving or when you don’t want to get out of bed. This tutorial will show you how to use Siri on an iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro, or Pro Max.
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Things You Should Know About Siri
Siri is Apple’s personal assistant for devices running iOS, macOS, WatchOS, and tvOS. The assistant uses voice recognition and is powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Apple’s goal in creating Siri was to provide users with a personal assistant to whom they could converse as if they were conversing with a friend. Siri’s goal is to assist users in getting things done by providing answers and assisting them with certain tasks.
Because Siri has access to all of the built-in applications on your iPhone 12, from Messages to Maps, contacts, and so on, you can use your voice to send audio and text messages, place phone calls, schedule appointments, and meetings, translate text, and so on. Here’s how to use Siri on your iPhone 12.
If Siri is enabled on your iPhone 12, you can use voice or a button to activate it.
Activating Siri Using Voice
- Say “Hey Siri,” then a question or command for the task you want Siri to perform for you. “Hey, Siri! What time is it now?“ or “Hey Siri, send a message.”
- Say “Hey Siri” again or tap the Siri icon at the bottom of the screen to make a request or ask Siri another question.
Activating Siri Using Button
When you activate Siri with a button, Siri will respond out loud if you are not in silent mode and silently if you are in silent mode. The steps to take are as follows:
- Depending on your situation, select any of the following:
- If you have an iPhone with a Home button, press and hold it.
- Press and hold the iPhone’s side button on an iPhone with Face ID.
- Press and hold the call or center button while wearing EarPods.
- Siri Eyes-Free Mode: Simply press and hold the voice command button on the steering wheel to activate Siri.
- Car games: Go to the CarPlay Home Screen by pressing the home button or the voice command button on the steering wheel.
- When Siri appears, ask her a question or give her the commands for the task at hand. “Set an alarm for 4:00 a.m.,” for example, or “What time is it?“
- To ask Siri a new question, tap the Siri icon at the bottom of the screen.
In contrast to previous versions, the voice assistant in iOS 14 does not take up the entire screen. Instead, a colorful icon appears at the top of the screen to indicate that it is listening to you. Similarly, when responding, responses will appear as widgets and banners on a portion of the screen rather than taking up the entire display.
How to Activate Siri on an iPhone 12
Siri is pre-installed on your iPhone 12, but you must first activate it to ensure that Siri recognizes you. Here’s how to enable it.
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Type Siri in the Search option or open Accessibility > Siri.
- To enable Siri, slide the Listen to “Hey Siri” button to the right. You can also enable the Allow Siri When Locked and Press Side Button for Siri options.
- On the Set-Up screen, tap Continue.
- You’ll be asked to say “Hey Siri,” and a few other phrases, such as “Hey Siri, how’s the weather today?“ or “Hey Siri, send a message.”
- Now, you can use Siri on your iPhone 12.
The activation described above will allow Siri to respond to your voice every time you say “Hey Siri,” even if your phone is locked. If you only want Siri to respond when your iPhone is unlocked, you can turn off the feature from the Siri and Search screen.
Tips
- You can use Siri on an iPhone 12 by saying “Hey Siri” or holding down the side button for a long time. Remember that you might need to enable these settings in the device’s settings.
- In iOS 14, Siri now appears as a little symbol rather than taking up the entire screen.
Depending on the model you have, you can also use Hey Siri from your AirPods, as well as their Force Sensors or Digital Crown. - You can ask Siri to search the internet or the web, too. You can just say, “Hey Siri. Search how to cook on Google!” or other things.
- You can clear Siri history by going to Settings > Siri & Search > Siri & Dictation History. Select “Delete Siri & Dictation History” from the menu. Your history with Siri is removed from Apple’s servers after you confirm your wish.
- You can also change Siri’s voices as well as its language, go to Settings > Siri & Search > Language. Choose from a variety of languages, including Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. The “Hey Siri” option can then ask you to retrain it for the new language. Select Siri Voice, pick a specific language accent, and alternate between a male and female voice.