Top 15 Best things to do with Apple's Siri on your iPhone

When Siri was released back in 2011 (alongside Apple's iPhone 4s), she was unique, and amongst the first of her kind. But now there are voice activated smart assistants everywhere we turn... from Alexa to Bixby, from Cortana to OK Google it seems the smart assistants are taking over...
And yet if you have Apple Products, Siri is still the Queen of the heap. Her deep integration with the Apple ecosystem and her vast capabilities put her neck and neck with the best of the Smart Assistants...
But that's assuming you know how to use her, how to summon her and how to make Siri your bitch!!!!
In this video the MacWhisperer shows his favorite Siri uses including:
Making Calls
Getting Directions
Sending Texts
Creating Calendar Events
Setting Timers and Alarms
Using Siri as a Dictionary
Using Siri to finish your Math homework
Using Siri for Reminders
Using Siri to read your texts to you
And so much more...
Dylan Stewart, aka The MacWhisperer, has been a professional Apple Consultant for 20 years and teaches monthly classes as a part of his MacWhisperer Monthly Membership (themacwhisperer.com/membership)
Highlights from this video
[00:00:00] Introductions
[00:00:29] The birth of Siri
[00:01:15] How to summon siri
[00:01:29] Connecting to siri by Voice (Hey Siri)
[00:01:45] Pressing your phone's Siri button
[00:02:21] Use Siri to make phone calls
[00:02:40] Get directions with Siri
[00:03:03] Searching by criteria with siri (Closest, cheapest, best, etc...)
[00:03:38] Basic info and simple answers with Siri
[00:03:50] Ask Siri About Movies
[00:04:00] Ask Siri about Sports
[00:04:16] Send a text with Siri
[00:05:04] Siri Rule #1: Know what you want before you summon her
[00:06:02] Siri Rule #2: Speak clearly
[00:06:32] Siri Rule #3: use punctuation
[00:06:57] Send Emails with Siri
[00:07:05] Ask Siri for definitions and spelling
[00:08:07] Ask Siri to do math for you
[00:09:36] Set Alarms and Timers with Siri
[00:10:24] Schedule Calendar Events with Siri
[00:11:01] Ask Siri about your schedule
[00:11:46] Ask Siri to remind you about anything
[00:12:16] Ask Siri to remind you when you arrive or leave a location
[00:13:17] Use Siri to make a grocery List
[00:14:12] Ask Siri to play music
[00:15:00] Ask Siri to read your Texts to you
[00:15:59] Siri Shortcuts
[00:16:21] Wrapup

[@ayubmatadar1136]

If you misplaced your phone just say Hey Siri can you set timer for ONE Second it will keep ringing even if it on silent 👍

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Great idea!

[@AngelaForgan]

The MacWhisperer Academy is a great teaching video. Clear and easy to follow.

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Thank you and happy it helped! ;)

[@joanistewart9318]

I love these classes and I can watch them anytime over and over if I need to. So great to learn all this stuff. You are so clear and explain things so I can learn it easily. I think you are amazing.

[@TheMacWhisperer]

You are so welcome!

[@washburn9999]

you are extremely informative and very helpful at getting the most out of my Iphone...i've all ready increased my productivity with the notes, reminders and now siri...thanks and keep up the good work...

[@TheMacWhisperer]

That’s what I love to hear! Keep watching, and make sure to let me know if there’s a video you’re looking for…

[@debreale5236]

Your videos are fabulous! I’m so glad I found your channel. Thank you!

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Glad you like them! Keep watching... more to come!!!

[@myozbubble]

I'm a new apple phone user and this has helped me a lot. TFS

[@TheMacWhisperer]

So glad I can help!!! Let me know if you have specific questions or any videos you would like me to create to help explain the Mac way of doing things to you.

[@TheUmasuresh]

Thank you, thank you so much. Absolutely helpful. Subscribed!

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Thanks for the sub!

[@nisarkermali132]

I have learnt a lot of new stuff in this video. Thank you very much

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Glad to hear that! ;)

[@youcanthide004]

Yup, as soon as you know what siri can do, and how to articulate the "commands" its a game changer!!!! A million to do lists... thats me lol

[@TheMacWhisperer]

I agree 😉

[@Miaandluca442]

Thank you this really helped. Can you please do this with something like Alexa

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Unfortunately I have not ever and most likely will not ever own any Alexa product. I just don’t need it… And to be honest I don’t trust Amazon anymore than I trust Facebook and Google right now. Sorry… I’m sure somebody has a video for Alexa like this.

[@joeharmon3301]

Excellent, thank you!

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Glad it was helpful! :)

[@daneainsworth2198]

Well done. Simple and direct. Thanks for your help.

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Thanks, glad it was valuable for you!

[@Will-Parr]

Very well presented. Congrats

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Thanks for watching!

[@phyllisgiesen-ui7sq]

Nice voice, so easy and clear to understand, thanks!

[@TheMacWhisperer]

You're very welcome!

[@bharatmajmudar8436]

You are very good. I love watching you videos.

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Thank you very much! happy to know that :)

[@elisabethlafontaine8979]

Awesome, thank you!

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Thanks for watching!!!

[@stevennovakovich2525]

I have a new iPhone SE 2022 (3rd gen) that I absolutely adore. Your videos help former Android users like me figure things out quickly and easily. Thank you!

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Glad you like them!

[@elianegans1695]

thanks, Dylan xo

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Glad you enjoyed it! Was there any tip you found exceptionally useful?

[@ayubmatadar1136]

Sir how to make Siri verbally announce 📢 your reminders please advise 👍

[@TheMacWhisperer]

At the moment that is not a function apple has enabled. I am sure if you google it you can create a Siri shortcut that will do something like that. I have thousands of reminders so it would drive me bonkers in seconds, but if you need it google that request + Siri Shortcuts and report back if you find a good solution.

[@bodeansmith8173]

Still a little iffy but sounds like a better way thank you🙏

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Glad it helped! :)

[@gervyNYC]

Great video!

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Thank you!!! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MrOWarfield]

I tried your suggestion I thank you however did not work, thank you again if you have any other answers let me know. Owen D Warfield

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Are you trying to have her answer your calls automatically? Or make it so when the phone rings you can ask her to answer it? What happened when you tried my suggestions?

[@kristenpaluch9200]

I Love Siri I use her for calendar appointments, birthdays, holidays, and reminders

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Awesome! Did you get any new insights on other ways to use her from the video?

[@kristenpaluch9200]

yes i did i know how to use her

[@TheMacWhisperer]

@@kristenpaluch9200 AWESOME!!!

[@kristenpaluch9200]

thanks

[@rudly]

thumbs up

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Thank you! ;)

[@LegacyProductionsOrg]

:28 " voice controlled assistant." great look. LOL!

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Yeah, I cracked myself up when I thought of that one. Glad you liked it.

[@markferrell2470]

I love using SIRI but not for all the reason you brought up,

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Yay! Thank you and welcome ;)

[@michaelscali2922]

He speaks clearly and does not stick in ahh every third word, like many people do, also great information I did not know..

[@stevejette2329]

At 15:00, the Eric Clapton song sounds like Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" ?

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Thank you for watching! :)

[@husamejle]

Great video, 13:38 you can just just say Add to my grocery list once then just say Add ... without say "to my grocery list" every time

[@TheMacWhisperer]

+husam ejle that is absolutely true. I often forget that when I’m in the midst of doing things quickly… But you can trust it to remember the list you pointed it to. Good point.

[@burgler2112]

Was just going to post asking why you had so few subscribers, and then I looked and saw I hadn’t subscribed yet 🤦‍♂️ That’s been remedied.

[@terrywalters5410]

Google understands everything I want to say no matter how poorly I talk. I wish there was a way to summon google without having to unlock my screen and go through Siri?

[@TheMacWhisperer]

It sounds like you are coming from an Android phone and expecting Siri and Apple to work the same way…

[@jinvid]

I’ve never completely gotten used to using Siri. I’ve been breaking Cardinal Rule #1 for the past 9 years.

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Hopefully that helps you to start to use her better...

[@davedevries5866]

Hopefully you can help me with a Siri issue. When I ask Siri to call either my son or my daughter, recently (as in approximately the last month) she says she can’t find that person in my list. When I tell her to remember so and so is my son/daughter Siri tells me that she already knows who that person is, then the very next second when I tell her to ring that person she says again that I can’t find that person in your list. I have put them as son/daughter in my contacts tab. Can anyone help with this?

[@TheMacWhisperer]

I’m sorry you were having that issue. Here is what I do when Siri misbehaves. 1. Make sure to run all updates for the phone (settings/general/software update) 2. Restart the phone and see if that resolves the issue. 3. In settings/Siri, disconnect Siri from your card… Restart the phone, and then reconnected it to your address card. I’ve had issues similar to this and every time one of those three steps has fixed it. Try them in that order, and let me know what happens.

[@tommalschaert8482]

Add chat gpt. It’s called Siri pro.

[@TheMacWhisperer]

There's a lot of big changes on the way, between Chat GPT, Siri shortcuts, and some updates coming to Siri in iOS 17… I will probably need to record an entirely new video shortly. So keep your eyes open for that.

[@Whigu]

Sadly here in my country Siri can't even do 1+1 kind of math :-D Even that she can tell weather and so on but math is still too hard for her.

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Sorry to hear that... I know they are constantly working on expanding her language capabilities...

[@user-sq7si4jz5h]

siri pas sur mon protbm

[@pwood5733]

In the english speaking word we correctly say … "maths" plural

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Good to know.

[@MrOWarfield]

How do I get Siri to answer my phone?

[@TheMacWhisperer]

From iOS 14.5 and later, Siri can tell you the name of the caller and respond to commands such as "Answer" or "Decline". There is no need to say "Hey Siri". To enable this feature: Open Settings on your iPhone. Scroll down and tap on Siri & Search. Tap on Announce Calls. Select Headphones Only or Headphones & Car.

[@joannerichards3615]

enunciate only has one "n".

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Ok, thank you. :)

[@bodeansmith8173]

I don’t see Siri on my phone

[@TheMacWhisperer]

What do you mean? You don't see Siri when you press the button? Go to settings, Siri & Search and make sure Hey Siri is turned on and Press side button is turned on. Let me know if that does not fix it.

[@JerzyCarranza]

We know where this man lives just cuz of his siri results O_O

[@TheMacWhisperer]

Yeah... want to come join me for a coffee?

[@stevennovakovich2525]

@@TheMacWhisperer Hilarious!

[@FemaleVillageElder]

Did you ever make a video about Shortcuts as you mentioned in this video? I couldn’t find it. Shortcuts is the most confusing to those of us over a certain age. Please go ahead and make this video and break it down so a five year old could understand it. Makethat a 95-year-old!

[@TheMacWhisperer]

I have not made one yet, but mostly because I see minimal need in it for most people. 90% of the shortcuts I come across are things Siri already did natively... so I keep waiting for a good example of a "necessary" shortcut to teach people how to use the app. And yes, the app is verycomplicated.