10 Things Siri Can Do (That You Didn’t Know About)

We all feel a little silly talking to our phones, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be totally blown away by the potential of Apple’s personal assistant, Siri. But exactly what can she do?

Well, that’s what this article is going to help you understand. You’ve already got some of the basics down pat, but we’re going to show you some of the things you didn’t know Siri could do.

1. Go Hands Free

It’s a hassle to keep pressing the home button and waiting patiently for Siri to get out of her electronic bed and tend to your every need. Luckily, there’s a shortcut for that. When your phone is plugged into power and switched on, just say “Hey Siri” and the personal assistant will open up and help you out, straight away.

2. Pronounce Your Name Right

Never in my entire life has anyone pronounced my name quite right the first time around. I can usually correct people, but one of the things that originally turned me off Siri was being called by a robotic name that definitely didn’t resemble my own. Then I realised you could train Siri to say your name correctly. Just say your name to Siri, and when she says it wrong prompt her with “You are not pronouncing my name right”. The assistant will allow you to sound it out, and choose the one that is most correct for you.

3. Call You What You Want

Of course, if your real name isn’t really doing anything for you, there’s no need to stick with it. Siri accepts all names, and will call you by whatever name you choose. Just say to her “From now on call me “¦.” and fill the blank with whatever you want. But do not teach the children in your life this feature, or you’ll open up Siri one day only to have her call you “Stinky Bum Face”.

4. Do Maths For You

Are you as bad at maths as I am? Well, now that I’ve got Siri, those problems are solved. If I have a simple maths problem that I probably should be able to do in my head but can’t be bothered, I just ask Siri. This is particularly good if I want to split a bill with friends (i.e. What is $83.75 divided by 3), or figure out how much money I’m saving at a percentage sale (i.e. What is 30% of $25.78).

5. Figure Out Your Relationships

I never call my boyfriend by his first name. In fact, I once forgot what it was when someone asked me, because my entire life is spent calling him Babe, Love or some weird hybrid of the two. So it’s weird to ask Siri to send him a message, and call him by his full name. Then I realised, I could teach Siri what I call him, so the personal assistant would know. All you say is “John Smith is my boyfriend” and Siri will remember in the future. That way, if you say “Tell my boyfriend I’m running late” Siri knows who to text. I also tested lover and a range of family titles.