Apple might be changing the ‘Hey Siri’ wake word on your iPhone
‘Hey Siri’ is going bye-bye
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Applewants to make asking Siri a question a little easier by removing the need to say “Hey Siri” – it’s reportedly planning to shorten the wake phrase to just “Siri”.
The smart assistant, which can be summoned on Apple devices like theiPhone 14,iPad Pro 12.9 (2022), andHomePod mini speaker, can be activated in a few ways, but one of the simplest is to use the wake phrase. Uttering “Hey Siri” before your question or command alerts the smart assistant to list for your instruction or question.
However, repeating “Hey Siri” over and over if you need help with several tasks in quick succession is more than a little tedious, so we’re pleased to hear that Apple is reportedly planning to shorten the phrase – and this may be the first step towards removing it entirely.
According toBlomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is planning to change “Hey Siri” to just “Siri,” though don’t expect anything to happen overnight. Shortening the wake phrase to just one word presents several challenges; if device software isn’t calibrated correctly it could become easier to activate Siri accidentally, or much harder to get its help using your voice alone.
If the change does go through then it would bring Siri in line withAmazon’sbest smart speakers: itsAmazon Echodevices. Users only need to say “Alexa” before asking questions or issuing instructions to get their Echo’s help.
Google, on the other hand, still requires you to say “Hey/OK Google” to instruct itsGoogle Pixel 7,Google Nest Mini, and other smart devices for most phrases, although if you enable the Quick Phrases feature on, there are some phrases you can say that don’t require a wake word at all – such as “Stop” when an alarm is going off.
Google reportedly is planning to expand this feature on itsGoogle Nest Hub Max, withcustom Quick Phrases apparently in the works, which could eliminate the need to say “Hey Google” ever again. It’s unclear whether Apple will go this far, but if it wants its smart assistant to feel as clever as those made by Amazon and Google it won’t want to lag too far behind with its innovations.
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That being said, even removing “Hey” from “Hey Siri” may take a bit of time. According to Gurman, the feature is in its early testing stages, and likely won’t be ready for a year or so. We imagine it might be highlighted atWWDC2023 or 2024 as an upgrade that will arrive with iOS 17 or iOS 18.
Looking to get more from you Apple device right now? Here are our picks for thebest iPhone appsyou can download today to get more out of your handset.
Hamish is a Senior Staff Writer for TechRadar and you’ll see his name appearing on articles across nearly every topic on the site from smart home deals to speaker reviews to graphics card news and everything in between. He uses his broad range of knowledge to help explain the latest gadgets and if they’re a must-buy or a fad fueled by hype. Though his specialty is writing about everything going on in the world of virtual reality and augmented reality.
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