Apple

If you own an iPhone or iPad, you likely already know how to request information from Siri. However, there’s more to Siri than meets the eye…or ear. Knowing how and when to use Siri can help you get the right reactions. You can tweak Apple's voice assistant to change the language, voice, and responses. Further, you can delete your dictation history with Siri to better protect your privacy.Apple’s voice assistant has other tricks up its sleeve. Siri can now process more types of requests offline, while Apple promises improved speech recognition the more you use Siri. You can better carry on a back-and-forth conversation with Siri through follow-up questions, and Siri can automatically announce time-sensitive notifications through your AirPods. Plus, you no longer need to say “Hey” to get Siri’s attention.Siri can also share certain content within apps like Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple News, and Apple Maps. And if you’re viewing a specific person in the Contacts app or in Messages, you can tell Siri to send them a message without having to identify the name.To take advantage of the latest features, make sure iOS or iPadOS is updated. Go to Settings > General > Software Update. You’ll be told that your device is up to date or see a prompt to install the latest update. Now, let’s check out all the ways you can use and customize Siri.1. Don’t Say Hey

Check system health After ensuring your Mac’s files are properly backed up, confirm the Mac itself is operating properly. Using an Apple silicon Mac, run Apple Diagnostics by pressing and holding the Mac’s power button until you see the Options icon display on screen, then release the power button and press and hold both the Command and D keys. (Different steps are required to run the diagnostics using an Intel chip-powered Mac.) Apple’s test checks numerous components, including a Mac’s sensors, battery, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi equipment, storage drive, processor and memory. Review the results and address any issues that arise with your company’s IT staff or an Apple technician as recommended by the diagnostics utility

Highlight Mac Apps You Never Use How often have you tested out an application on your Mac and then never used it again? This rule will use the handy Set color label feature to highlight the apps we may want to get rid of. If there’s any application in the Mac /Applications folder that hasn’t been opened in a year, it will turn it purple.

Say the wake word and your command all in one go. This also helps prevent errors in processing. Make phone calls: "Call Mom." Hang up a call: "Hang up." Send messages: "Send a message to Steve" or "Ask Dad, where are the keys?" Read back previous messages: "Read back previous messages." Get directions: "Get directions home" Play music: "Play music I like" or "Play 'Georgia' by Vance Joy." Stop music: "Stop playing" or "Play something else." Ping nearby devices: "Where is my iPhone." Set a timer: "Set a timer for 10 minutes" and set multiple timers by naming them, "Set a noodle timer for 8 minutes." Check on a timer: "How much time is left on the timer?" Stop an alarm: "Stop" or "Stop the alarm" or add a person's name if their device is alarming and belongs to your Apple Home. Control HomeKit devices: "Turn on the lights" when commanding a HomePod in the room you'd like to turn the lights on in. Or, provide a zone, "Turn on the lights downstairs." Set a Reminder: "Remind me of this" for something you're looking at in an app like Safari. Or "Remind me to take out the trash when I get home." Take a photo with the Camera app: "take a photo" or "take a selfie." Play media: "Play the next episode of 'Ted Lasso'" or "Start playing 'Prehistoric Planet' in the Living Room." Ask for information: general queries can be thrown at Siri, and results will vary. "When did 'Cinderella come out?" or "When is the next showing of 'Super Mario Brothers The Movie?'" or "What day does Easter fall on?" or "What's the Redsocks score?" Create Calendar events: "Create a Calendar event on April 14 for a doctors appointment at 3 p.m." Calculations and random chance: "What is 4,400 divided by 3?" or "Flip a coin" or "roll a dice" or "roll two dice." Activate Shazam: "What song is this?"