Hey Siri! The popular voice assistant Siri debuted on the iPhone 4S in 2011. Since then, its makers have improvised its features and uses at regular intervals. Today, Siri can do more than play songs, send texts, or dial a phone number. Here are lesser-known incredible things you can use Siri for.
Calculations
Siri can do simple math calculations like a pro. It can add, subtract, multiply, and divide the numbers. It can also calculate tips you want to pay on restaurant bills, cab fare, or other services. It can split the bill amount for shared group expenses.
Photo Finding
An average American snaps photos six times a day on their phone and has 2795 photos on their camera roll. Imagine browsing through your photo gallery to dig out a few. Siri can pull specific pictures for you. All you have to say is, ‘Hey Siri, please find photos from my Christmas celebrations in 2023.’
Time Check
Siri comes in handy when you can’t look at the clock because you are driving or cooking. Just ask Siri to tell you the time. Siri can also look up different time zones in case you want to call someone in a foreign location. You can give it a command to set a timer.
Reminders
It is natural to forget to do things on a hectic day. Sometimes, you are in the market and can’t recall what you wanted to buy. Siri can give real-time, location-specific reminders. For example, ‘Hey Siri, remind me to pick up my dress from the dry cleaning shop when I am at the ‘XYZ’ street.
Open Apps
An average user in the United States has 18.45 apps on a phone. Sifting through all the apps to find the one you want can be a little hassle. Siri can find and launch an app. You can say, ‘Hey Siri, launch <app name>. This feature is particularly useful when booking a cab or playing music.
Find a Lost iPhone
This feature is subject to two conditions. The first criterion is that you must have another Siri-enabled iPhone device. The second criterion is that ‘Find My iPhone’ must be enabled on your lost iPhone. Give the command ‘Hey Siri, find my iPhone’ on the other device. You would also need to confirm to play a sound/alert on finding a misplaced/lost device. You are likely to find your iPhone if it is lying somewhere nearby or within your home or car.
Translation
Use Siri to translate words and sentences in different languages. However, you would also need to install ‘Translate’ app on your Apple device. Siri can translate for you in both text and audio formats. Siri can also help converse two-way in a foreign language.
Remember Relationships
You can add relationship fields to your iPhone’s contact list. For example, you can save the contact with your father’s name and relationship as ‘dad’. When you want to contact someone, summon Siri with the command ‘Hey Siri, call my dad’.
Flight Status
Siri can give you real-time flight updates. You have to mention the airline and flight number to allow Siri to fetch details. You may need to connect Siri with an airline app or other third-party flight-tracking apps on your Apple device.
Harry Potter Spells
Calling all wizards. Siri can transform your iPhone into a Harry Potter wand. ‘Hey Siri, Lumos’ will turn on the flashlight on your phone. ‘Hey Siri, Nox’ will turn it off. ‘Hey Siri, Vermillious’ can send an SOS message to your emergency contacts with your current location.
Car Parking
Siri can manage car parking locations for you. Make sure your iPhone is in sync with the CarPlay app or car’s Bluetooth. Say ‘Hey Siri, remember where I parked my car’ after parking. When you need to find your car, say ‘Hey Siri, find my car’. It will show you the parked car in the Maps app.
Sports and Cinema
Siri can whip up real-time updates on scores, player or match statistics, schedules, and other information on any sporting event. It can also retrieve details on movies playing in the local theater and their show times.
Smart Home Control
Siri can sync with the Home app on your Apple device. You can then give it a command to control the smart home devices according to your preferences. Siri can turn lights on and off, modify thermostat temperature, lock the doors, and increase or decrease the brightness of lights.
Insert Emojis
This one is for iOS 16 users. Siri can insert emojis in your chats, emails, and notes while you dictate something. You have to say the name of the emoji while speaking on the microphone. Search for emoji names on the internet and keep them handy for reference.
Flip a Coin or Roll the Dice
When you want to make a decision based on randomness, whether for fun or on a serious note, flipping a coin is a good option. What would you do if you didn’t have a coin? Ask Siri to toss it digitally. It will show heads or tails.
Similarly, if you don’t have a dice while playing a game, give the command to Siri.
Recognize the Song
The itch to identify a song or tune playing near you can get on your nerves. Take Siri’s help instead of getting frustrated. Say ‘Hey Siri, recognize this song’ or ‘Hey Siri, Shazam this song’. It will take Siri a few seconds to tell you the name and artist of the song. Apple acquired the popular music app Shazam in 2018.
