5 Important Voice Commands For Siri And Google Everyone Should Know - The Blind Life

5 Important Voice Commands For Siri And Google Everyone Should Know - The Blind Life
Here's 5 Voice commands for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices like Samsung Galaxy S7, S8, Note 4 and 5.
This is The Blind Life!
(formerly The Blind Spot)
It's where we discuss the good, the bad, and the often annoying aspects of living with low vision. Here you can find videos about assistive technology, helpful tips and tricks and the dos and don'ts of low vision etiquette. All shared with a positive attitude and lots of laughs.
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[@gegogj]

Thank you for the video. Great advices Sam.

[@bravechicken6251]

Awesome vid. Thank you.

[@doingbusinessblind3774]

Great Video, I often say "Ok Google, walking directions to..." and she will route and tell me where to go

[@theblindlife]

Yeah that's a good one!

[@javiercaiza2867]

Thanks you, for your videos, Sam , They are usefull

[@judylehman7997]

Thanks again for another great info filled video

[@angelicaw.3774]

This was so helpful! Thanks!

[@darquequeen2323]

Thanks! I have an iPhone and my man has an android. We both just tested things out! Great time-saving tips! 👍🏼👍🏼🙂

[@almueller2446]

Thanks Sam.

[@barbarakumpan7852]

Hi thank you for sharing your video I just learned something new and will try it out.

[@darleneworthey3735]

Thank you so Much for your precious time as I can now Help My beautiful friend to set her commands to her phone.

[@blindscience1919]

I frequently ask google to open my apps for me like: "ok google open DI radio". I also like to say "ok google open torch," for the flashlight. It makes me feel british or something. One other I really like is "ok google wake me up in 20 minutes," or "ok google wake me up at 8:30am." Also when I'm a navigator in a car ride "ok google navigate to home," of course it will take an address or a store name too. And lastly, how I like to stay informed about the robot apocalypse, "ok google what do you want." If it ever answers that, its about time to start stockpiling weapons and food.

[@theblindlife]

Those will all probably make the next video!

[@shazzasees]

🤣

[@charlieturner566]

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha

[@jamesradcliffe2496]

I'm not vision impared, but I found your information most helpful. What a neat channel.

[@ajaxon98]

Hello and thanks for the great videos for low vision. MS has an app called phone link that is limited for my needs because I would like to manage my settings and contacts in 1 place (I know about iCloud). Is there a method or app that will allow me to do this? Thank you.

[@mistybailey]

Bixby is great 😊

[@antoinettejwilliams1993]

I luv it, I luv it, I luv it! PTL! Thank you so much and thanks to those who share in the comments. I’m a senior with glasses and came across this in my search for screen reader. Now I can share info and your site to my grandchildren and blind friends who may not know. Thank you again.

[@tracymagowan2652]

Brilliant 👍🏻

[@mrsteresa1999]

I'm still learning how to do this so thanks for sharing

[@joannezucker1882]

You do not need to push the button to have Siri work. Just say hey Siri and then your request. This is good for those who have problems using their hands.

[@jamesnimtz2866]

Thank you, Sam

[@charlieturner566]

Have you made a video on the best Alexa command you should know? I think that would be really helpful. To me, and all of the visually impaired people who use Alexa

[@mistareeda]

I use most of these a lot. I also like the shortcuts app on my iOS devices. I have my continuous glucose monitor linked to my iPhone & can have my blood sugar readings read to me by just saying “Hey Siri, what’s my blood sugar?” The shortcut I have set up opens the CGM app, turns the volume to 100% & then activates the screen reader. I also use timers & alarms all the time. Opening apps saves so much time & effort too.

[@Tawney_Williams]

that was a good one

[@elmundodelunamoona1005]

Listening to this video,and my google device responding to Sam’s voice!😂

[@fandydawenan]

Google Assistant can sing, but Siri can not, lol :)

[@DodgyDebb]

Thanks again for the hacks. I do sometimes forget to ask Siri to do things. But when I do remember I find it really useful to voice command a contact call, especially if I’m out n about. 👍🏽

[@theblindlife]

Don’t feel bad, sometimes I forget as well!

[@larrytestut5388]

I like the fact that Bixby voice on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S9 you can control accessibility settings such as turning off And turning it on along with voice assistant on the Samsung Galaxy phone

[@buyukberber]

Thanks Sam! Siri can do calculations which can come in real handy! And you can build upon the previous one like: what is 347 x 23?, divide that to 34? And so on. For someone who uses the calendar app al lot, Siri can be super helpful, you can add things to the calendar and ask it to read what's the next appointment You have. Directions, taking notes and playing music are also things I use daily. I wish Siri support for third party apps was better :-)

[@theblindlife]

Thanks man, I'm putting together a list of everyone's favorites!

[@BearOverseer]

Hey girl you single ?

[@charlieturner566]

@@theblindlife I actually didn’t know you can do the things. I never knew you could add on to calculations. I’m about to drive right now lol.

[@creativelc]

I often use "OK Googhle create event" andc "OK Google setg alarm"". I also use the Mgnifeffect app for screenshotting & enlarging the content of my phon e screen.

[@DamjanJagar]

Every day. :) Also, shorter for checking battery is "battery status" ;)

[@razahaider5088]

Good

[@gabriellerose34]

Thanks really useful. By the way Siri will now turn the Torch on an off!

[@queenc9172]

Hey new to the channel. Love it! I just checked Siri does turn on the flash light. Disregard if you already know this. Looking forward to more videos.

[@theblindlife]

Thumbs up!

[@DodgyDebb]

Iho guys, I can’t get Siri to turn on my flash light. I used the command torch. Maybe I should try flash light? 👍🏽

[@davidadausuel4537]

I must say, that since you did this video two years ago, you must know that iPhone can ask Seri to turn on the flashlight 🔦 as well as other apps within the iphone. Mine does, on both the iOS six and ten indeed.

[@austinbeitl3444]

Hi Sam from the blind I am austin beitl will you do a review and demo on the bee my eyes app for ios

[@nexus1983st]

hy. What app do i have to install on an android phone to be able to ask it questions,route my way etc? This looks great and helpful

[@street55789]

Cool. Your beard and mustache this length and shape remind me of the Santa Claus in Rankin and Bass specials from when I was a kid. Fun memory.

[@theblindlife]

Give me a couple years and it will be just as white as Santa Claus! LOL

[@ianwaller1189]

Hi Sam I love your channel as a vision impaired user showing how tech works for you Vision person or blind person it’s great I use Apple all the time that’s my product I can turn my flash light on or off all I gotta say is flash light on or flash light off or in Australia we call torch on and off but I do find sometimes with the dictation with Siri or the microphone on the keyboard it does not always pick up your diction and that can be frustrating thank you for your post Sam I really enjoyed him cheers Ian

[@theblindlife]

thanks man

[@charlieturner566]

I agree, Sam, your videos are so cool. And really helpful. I watch your videos every day, and I can read about anything I want to miss channel. Not read. Learn.

[@nataliesullivan9909]

Hello how do you feel about visually impaired?

[@ericvechery8853]

It’s nice to know there’s other blind android users out there! Every blind person I’ve ever met in my life is an iPhone user. In a lot of the blind circles I’ve been in it seemed like they put the iPhone as the more superior device over android. I’ll just add one more thing. When I ask each one how to say things in other languages I have found that Google translate which the Google assistant uses is more accurate.

[@theblindlife]

LOL, yes, for some reason blind people do love their iPhones!

[@christinegates4453]

I bought s new android last month. My research showed the iPhones were more widely used, but Android had better a11y features. (a11y = accessibility. There are 11 letters between the a and the y. Ain't nobody got time to type that!) Sam: Thank you so much for the video!

[@charlieturner566]

@@theblindlife message, William partitas that Apple has the best screen reader. I got my first iPad, back in 2020, that was my school iPad, and I still have it, then, I got my iPhone, SE, voiceover on it, in December 2020, then, I got an iPad air two from my grandma come on in May 2022, and I got my new iPhone, the iPhone 13 mini come out in December 2022

[@ahmadbdeiwi7395]

I’m hungry!! Lol. That’s my most favorite voice command.

[@theblindlife]

LOL, I just tried that, that’s great!

[@antoinettejwilliams1993]

Wow! I just did it, lol, I just did, Tnx

[@mazenkarim1655]

its a great video Sam !!! I really appreciate what you are doing to help us. but I wanna ask a favor, can you review the vision accessibility features in the MacBook Pro with touch ID and touch bar running MacOS sierra so we can get a better idea if the touch bar is useful for visually impaired people or no.

[@theblindlife]

I've only used a Mac a couple of times so I'm not totally familiar with it to begin with. I also don't really have access to one of the new ones with the touch bar. You might have better luck asking Derek Daniel about that. He's an Apple guy! I did see one video where a VIP talked about the touch bar and he seemed to like it. However his vision is much better than mine so not sure how well it works for people who have more severe vision loss.

[@jonathansmith6974]

I have a pre-touch bar MBP running Sierra. All the accessibility features are mostly similar to iOS. I have read reviews of the touch bar that indicate it is NOT low-vision friendly. It's just kind of there; if you can see it great, if you can't it won't be of much use to you. Either way, mine is usually attached to external monitor, keyboard, etc, and the laptop itself stays closed so the touch bar wouldn't be available anyway.

[@buyukberber]

As a hard core Mac user for 13 years I was upset to see that the touch bar is the only option you get if you need a powerful computer. I did some extensive testing at the local Apple Store and it was quite difficult for me since I rely primarily on feeling the keys, and that top row IS very important if you use shortcuts all the time... So, like Jonathan Smith says, if you are going to use it attached to an external screen with external keyboard etc. it doesn't matter and you are just paying extra for a feature you will never use. But if you ever need to work on a laptop, it's hard.

[@georgestokes5116]

hey sam show me how yoou set up an flat screen tv to be a pc moniter

[@zuzoscorner]

"time" "date" "weather" "what the wind chill" "tempature" to get siri to tell you the tempture instead of just the wather pop up "schedule" it great for putting events on yoru clander

[@vigal79]

Even though I found that the blind and visually impaired community prefers iPhones, android does things on the assistant side much better. Such as translating things, reading out text messages and that kind of thing. I find that sending a text message with Siri stinks. And I don’t use it. I remember listening to this one podcast that was done by in for the blind community, and this lady was a Spanish interpreter, and she dictated in Spanish using her android phone and it came up perfectly. That’s something that I don’t know still can be done today on the iPhone. Or at least not as well I think

[@jackandlizpearce8048]

This video has an annoying drumbeat in the background which is really distracting. Otherwise the video is interesting.

[@peterblack1538]

I have the E-torch app on my iPhone and Siri will turn it on or off with a voice command. Guess that’s why we Aussies use a torch and not a flashlight LOL.

[@herbnasert2616]

On android you can tell it to call a specific place like call home depot on Watson boulevard or call Walgreens on a Houston and Watson and it will call them without searching up the number

[@Tatumchiagoofficial]

I usually check the weather, read and send text messages, look up articles of celebrities, turn VoiceOver on and off, and check the battery percent of my AirPods, and check the holidays with Siri on my iPhone.

[@beachcraftful]

Hi, thanks so much.....it has taken me a long time to discover many of the things you talk about in the blindspot... is there a way to ask what your appointments are on a given day and enter appointments with your voice?

[@theblindlife]

+Brian Holmes yes, just say "do I have any appoint ments today?" or instead of saying "today" say whatever day you want.

[@theblindlife]

+Brian Holmes then say "add appointment" and it will prompt you for more info.

[@nihiasquith2281]

I like that Harry Potter one

[@yvonneletien8223]

Thank you this video will really help me. I have macular degeneration and legally blind.

[@kidsonicofficial]

Google can now tell you your battery status. Ask it "what is the battery level on my phone" and it will read out your remaining battery life.

[@theblindlife]

Yes, a lot has changed since I made this video

[@CraigStocksArts]

Nice video. My mother is legally blind but does not use Voice Over. She just replaced the battery in her iPhone 5C and Siri’s behavior changed. Before she could say something like “Call the nearest Red Lobster” and it would read the nearest and ask if she wants to call. Niw it presents a text list and ask her to choose one. Turning on Voice Over gets Siri to call like before but also introduces a whole lot of other changes. Any idea how to get back to the earlier behavior?

[@theblindlife]

I’m afraid I don’t. In fact the way you describe the behavior after the battery change is what I’ve always thought it was.

[@Shruti14334]

thanks Sam your vedeos are really useful .. I wants to ask that is there is any device by which I can read books and documents conveniently.without holding it very close to my eyes

[@theblindlife]

There are all types of CCTV’s and digital magnifiers that could help with that. Also you could use OCR apps like KNFB reader or seeing a I.

[@Shruti14334]

thanks for your help

[@jacobkentz9726]

You can also do that with Siri when you have iPhone OS 13. Four or later you always have to make sure that it's on 14. Five or later Siri you can do that it's only available to iOS 10 devices iOS 11 devices and I OS 15 devices it's not an iOS 9 or iOS 8 or iPadOS eight or nine but that's your really good video maybe you should do a updated version of that because with iOS 15 an iPad OS 15 here we can be that stuff now you make such a good videos

[@solracm7783]

The flashlight works with Siri I don’t know if it was new on iOS 11 or iOS 12 but it works on my iPhones

[@alexandersam6110]

Flashlight is working now on IOS

[@khalidr9919]

A good Siri feature is hey Siri are use it all the time when I lose my phone

[@aprilskies1051]

great advice Sam. thanks. tell me, I'm not too great with iPad yet but does Siri just automatically come on when the iPad is turned on. Please don't laugh at my question...😊

[@theblindlife]

You know what they say, there are no stupid questions! I believe Siri is on by default when you first fire up an iPad or iPhone. It's been a while since I did mine but I'm pretty sure she was already turned on. You can turn her off in the settings though if you want to.

[@aprilskies1051]

cheers Sam. I'll start with my Android for OK google.

[@jacoblynch8636]

to those who don’t know or are recently blind and looking at devices the eye devices when you tell a specific message it will repeat the message to you before it ask you if you want to send it you do not have to ask it to repeat it it automatically does it on our devices

[@theblindlife]

That is only if you have VoiceOver turned on. If you do not have it turned on, it will not repeat the message to you unless you ask it to.

[@jacobkentz9726]

And of course Siri can only turn on and off the flashlight when you have IOS 14.3 and of course thanks so much for the video

[@loukieprinsloo3530]

My IPhone does the flashlight thing!! Even the lumos!!

[@DulyNoted505]

IOS 16 Siri now does flashlight!!🥰🥰

[@theblindlife]

Yeah, this was an old video and they hadn't added that functionality yet.

[@kawikat1481]

yaaaaaaaaaaaas

[@charlieturner566]

Cool, do you know you can say? Hey Siri, where are you, and it will respond with, here I am, or, I am over here, or, I am here. Are use this in light on my iPhone 13 mini. When I’m too lazy to find my phone, I use that feature, if I have my Siri volume all the way up.

[@nataliesullivan9909]

GOOD MORNING

[@nataliesullivan9909]

👋

[@nataliesullivan9909]

I'm just learning about Vision a I do not know about this that's reason why I am watching these videos I like it because I need to know about fidgets a

[@theblindlife]

Welcome!

[@susanwilliams2392]

Me: Wow, I knew I was right to get an iphone, so much better on the accessability Sam: You can use a Harry Potter spell on google Me: I always knew I should have got a Google phone, apple is so far behind

[@theblindlife]

LOL, that’s funny!

[@anitapandian3608]

Price of the device what

[@dr.mohammadomarfarooq1730]

Hi. This is a great channel and thanks for the great instructional videos. I am trying to help my wife with low vision (legally blind with Retinitis pigmentosa). Here are some queries: 1. I saw in this video that you asked question about Hamilton, and then you continued with related questions. On iPhone and Android, how do you continue? I tried Siri and when want to continue (let's same with a known name), it gives the answer, and then when I want to ask a related question, it seems to I have a ask full question, not like what is "his" this or that. Am I missing something? 2. Can Siri or Google help call using any messenger (imessenger, Viber, Whatsapp, imo, etc.)? If yes, how? 3. Can a visually impaired or blind person operate their facebook independently using VoiceOver? Is there a video on that? Thanks in advance. Dr. Mohammad Omar Farooq

[@theblindlife]

Linking questions together you want to remember to just use normal conversational speech. For example, if I ask Siri when is George Washington‘s birthday, she will answer me. Then if I long press on the button or say hey Siri, I can just say what about Abraham Lincoln? Then she will tell me his birthday. Another example would be if I asked her what year gone with the wind was made. She would answer me and then I could say, who was the director? She would answer because she already knows that we are still talking about gone with the wind. Google is exactly the same way.

[@theblindlife]

I’ve tried to send a message through Facebook messenger using Google and it doesn’t work. He says he can’t send those messages. It doesn’t work for WhatsApp either. Those are the only ones I’ve tested. Haven’t tried using Siri. Finally, the whole purpose of voiceover is so that the person can control their device independently. So yes, they can absolutely use Facebook with voiceover. They just need to learn how and practice.

[@nataleelowe5643]

an Android will work just as good as a Samsung or iphone. Because, Samsung has voice assistant and talkback, to screen readers, and Android just says talkback. Fun fact, did you know that Android is part of the Samsung company? Samsung has voice textalled talkback. Samsung is actually part of the Android program.

[@charlieturner566]

@@theblindlife I used to have Instagram and TikTok on my phone, and I used voiceover. It’s actually kind of easy when you think about it. if you want to make a video on TikTok, you quick, I think create to camera, and then you click create a video.

[@deniseconsultant1538]

Inverted Verde

[@debracurrie6868]

After calling, say a business using siri on an iphone, can you tell it to press a number for a department. I have a friend who has no sight and cannot see the keypad to press the number.

[@theblindlife]

That only works if the automated system is set up to take voice prompts. If it is not, no, you cannot use your voice to choose a number. If someone wants to use a smart phone and their vision has progressed to the point where they can no longer use magnification, large print, or high contrast, then they must learn to use the screen reader. That’s the only way they can use the smart phone.

[@saraabe1]

One command are use all the time on my iPhone is, hey Siri give me money! But as you've guessed it never works. 🤣

[@theblindlife]

LOL

[@SeemaKumari-mo8st]

How to save the contact number in Samsung Android phone

[@kaminiadatia3521]

Hi Sam, my mother 84 year old is visually impaired. She has macular. Atm she is seeing white patches. I want to buy a cellular tablet for her which she can use to make calls and to know time and date, few little things. Which tablet should I buy? She speaks gujarati and Hindi only. Waiting eagerly for your advice

[@theblindlife]

I was pretty impressed with the Amazon fire tablet. It’s not too expensive and has pretty good accessibility. Also has Amazons digital assistant built in.

[@kaminiadatia3521]

@@theblindlife Thank you Sam

[@patrickolson7390]

I set reminders and timers through Siri. If the timer is early paused, you cannot set it was Siri until you clear the timer.

[@theblindlife]

Yeah that was another one that was going to be on my list!

[@varadarajkannan3200]

What's cost of this device

[@bethannd9892]

I ask Siri to set or disable alarm

[@luciabell1028]

While you were demonstrating the number one feature, dialing, our google replied, she didn’t understand the phone you wanted to dial. 🤣😂🤣😂

[@alexanderpadalka5708]

🗽

[@osmankamara3868]

Flashlight now works with Siri

[@garathekd]

The flash light comad not working on siri has always struck me as stupid.

[@anitaboddington4837]

You have to proofread it before you allow her to send that text because she doesn’t always get the words correct

[@cprcomputer7688]

Teddy doesn't seem to be a good friend jaja

[@LMNevada]

Why the back music?

[@pinchasnisenson528]

When I ask for the weather Siri just tells "here is the weather for today" but in the video she actually tells the weather. Suggestions ?

[@theblindlife]

+Pinchas Nisenson sometimes she gives more information then other times. I also think I had voiceover turned on. When voiceover is turned on she reads all the information for you.

[@solracm7783]

You forgot one with Siri. What is 1 trillion to the power of 10

[@mogeking56]

I ask Siri am I fat. Are you serious 🧐!

[@yvonneself7055]

How do you turn off voice over?

[@theblindlife]

There’s a three ways to do it. Number one is to ask Siri to turn on and off for you. Number two is to go into the accessibility settings and turn it on or off manually. Number three is to set it as a home button shortcut. Then when you click the home button three times it will turn it on and off. You can set this short cut in the accessibility settings.

[@barbarakumpan7852]

question would I have to turn on the data to get the voice command on?

[@theblindlife]

For most of them you would need data. Checking the weather, the time, making phone calls, that sort of thing.

[@barbarakumpan7852]

Thank you

[@janetharris4429]

Can a totally Blind person use garage band ?

[@kameetayis2935]

Hello i am a student of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS) and we have a project about the Blind Vision Android App can you help us we have three group member and project duration is almost 1 year. Sir basically for this App we want to help poor and needy people for free sir i am waiting your response. Thank you.

[@markveiera8202]

I did not get that last one

[@theblindlife]

In the Harry Potter books and movies, Lumos is the spell to make the tip of your wand glow like a flashlight. Knox is the spell to turn it off.

[@jacobkentz9726]

Well Sam here is the fact she can only do it when you have a Android 10

[@kelleyfrushour4589]

Can you ask siri to answer the incoming call?

[@theblindlife]

Apparently while it’s plugged in and charging you can say hey Siri to answer the phone hands-free. I haven’t been able to get it to work though.

[@susanwilliams2392]

Wow, I guess Alexander Hamilton Burn-ed out so soon, he was really running out of time, pity he threw away his shot when he was so young, scrappy and hungry, There must have been a million things he hadn't done

[@theblindlife]

LOL Susan you’re hilarious! I played both of these comments for my family and they love them!

[@georgestokes5116]

i have an i phone and she turns on my flashlight

[@charlieturner566]

Cool, do you know you can say? Hey Siri, where are you, and it will respond with, here I am, or, I am over here, or, I am here. Are use this in light on my iPhone 13 mini. When I’m too lazy to find my phone, I use that feature, if I have my Siri volume all the way up.