hold down the button and keep
holding it until you are done
with your request, then release
it and let your assistant get to
work.
When you press the button,
don’t say “Hey Siri.” Pressing
the button is equivalent to say-
ing those magic words, and Siri
will have to process every sin-
gle word you say, so the less
you say the more accurate and
reliable Siri will become. Try
it now by pressing the button
and saying, “What’s the weath-
er in Brazil?”
By pressing and holding
the button, not only do you
get Siri’s attention faster and
eliminate the need to say,
“Hey Siri,” but you also open
the ability to have much longer
commands. I have been known
to dictate paragraphs at a time; this is something you can’t do
hands free, because Siri only listens for a short period of time
before starting to process what you said.
My basic rule is if the phone is in my hand, I press the but-
ton. If it is not (or if I’m in the car and shouldn’t be holding the
phone), I use hands free. Hands-free Siri tends to be much
better with short bursts, while the button is much better for
longer commands.
Rule #2: Get to
the Point
When you start making your
request, keep it direct and
to the point. Siri will process
whatever you say, so the more
you say, the better chance it
will not give you the results
you are expecting.
Saying things like, “Hey Siri,
would you please take a mo-
ment and let me know what
time it is at this moment in the
city of Quebec in Canada?”
will go sideways more often
than not.
A better request would be,
“Hey Siri, what time is it in
Quebec?” You don’t need to
say please or be polite, Siri
won’t be offended. Be specifi c
and get to the point.Rule #3: Know What You Want to
Say Before You Get Siri’s Attention
It is essential that you know what you want to ask before
making your command. Siri will listen to everything you say, so
if you are unsure, mumble your words, or give confusing direc-
tions, it will not give you the results you hope for. Be clear on
what you are looking to do before you start your request.Rule #4: Speak
Clearly, Pause &
Enunciate
Between Words
Here are a few basic point-
ers that will help Siri under-
stand you better. Siri is only
as good as what it hears, and
although voice recognition has
gotten better and better over
the years, a computer is still
just a computer and lacks basic
contextual understanding. Be-
cause of this, speaking clearly
and slowly, and pausing be-
tween your words can help her
differentiate between I scream
and ice cream.
Remember, it only saves you
time if your assistant hears
you correctly the fi rst time, so take your time and do it right.
Once you get the hang of Siri, you can speak faster or use
basic phrases like “15 minutes” to quickly set a timer rather
than “Set a timer for 15 minutes.” But as you’re starting out,
take it slow and easy.My Favorite Siri
Commands
Now that you know some of
the basic tips, let’s have some
fun with a few Siri commands:
If you’re wondering what
kinds of things you can do with
Siri, you can go ahead and ask
your digital assistant and fi nd
out. Just say “Hey Siri, what
can you do?”
Siri will reply by showing
a screen with ways you can
text, create calendar entries,
make phone calls, get direc-
tions, fi nd out sports scores,
make restaurant reservations,
translate between different
languages, and open apps. In