“Hey Siri,” Apple’s popular virtual assistant summon command, changes with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma. It does it to the point that the iPhone, iPad or Mac will no longer react when we call it with this command.
Instead, from now on the command is simplified and just say “Siri”. This has a direct impact on how the function is used and, although it may seem like a minor change, it is not so much. The process of invoking virtual assistants is one that has to carry as little friction as possible through, something that several firms have understood in recent years, and now, also Apple.
The option “Hey Siri” arrived in 2014 with iOS 8, and has remained almost unchanged ever since. It did improve from the following year, with the iPhone 6s and later models, which began to offer the possibility of invoking the assistant without the need for the device to be connected to the current.
The switch to just “Siri,” though minor, is one that forces Apple to consider many more cases of activation of the same and improve listening to avoid unwanted activations. Amazon Alexa users know how easy it is to fall for it.
Hey Siri, far from the only change
iOS 17 comes with a lot of changes other than simply improving “Hey Siri” to just “Siri.” The firm’s new operating system comes with a good number of new features in the customization and utilities section. Even a new app called Diario makes an appearance.
New system enhancements, including the “Hey Siri” change, will be available once the system is officially released to the public in September. What has happened now has only been an advance in the framework of WWDC 2o23.