How to use Siri on the iPhone 4S

When Apple unveiled its latest iPhone in October, there was initially some disappointment. Even the experts anticipated an “iPhone 5” and the rumour mill had been hard at work for months. But once we got to grips with the iPhone 4S - an updated version of Apple’s bestselling iPhone 4 - there were several curious new features to explore. Perhaps the most interesting new addition is “Siri”.

What is Siri?

A unique feature of the iPhone 4S, the Siri application uses voice recognition technology to act as your personal assistant. As you speak to Siri, it listens to your instructions and comes back with an appropriate response. Siri can answer questions, make recommendations and perform tasks.

For example, if you are too busy to write a text, you can dictate a message and instruct Siri to send it on your behalf. Or maybe you want to know where the nearest Italian restaurant is? Siri can help with that too. In fact, there are endless uses for Siri - and using it can be a lot of fun.

Getting started with Siri

Firstly, you need an iPhone 4S. Unfortunately, even with the iOS 5 operating system, Siri doesn’t work on older versions of the iPhone. Secondly, while Siri comes preinstalled on the iPhone 4S, you need to run a quick set-up to get the most out of using it.

Siri can be turned on and off via the settings menu. From here, you can also tell Siri what language you speak, as well as entering your name - so your new assistant can properly address you - and there is also a “raise to speak” option that can be toggled on or off.

Raise to speak does exactly as the name suggests. Turn it on and talk to Siri by simply placing the phone to your ear and speaking. The alternative option is to press and hold the “home” button. You should hear two beeps, which means Siri is ready to listen.

The software has been designed to work equally well whether your voice comes from far away or much closer to the microphone. Even with the phone on a desk or dashboard in front of you, speaking clearly at a normal volume should do the trick.

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Speaking to Siri

When developing the Siri application, Apple equipped it with natural language processing capabilities. This means that as well as simply hearing you, Siri can understand what you’re saying. It responds to genuine human speech rather than a forced robotic tone.

If you want to phone someone up, say something like “call Dave” rather than a longwinded instruction you think might work better. The key to success is speaking clearly at a moderate pace, and always giving specific orders - nothing too generic like “make a phone call”.

There are no set phrases to use, so in theory you should get the same result regardless of whether you say “set an alarm for 10.15”or “wake me up at 10.15”. But remember that Siri isn’t human, so can’t understand everything - you can work out what works best in certain circumstances using trial and error.

What can Siri do?

There’s a huge number of tasks Siri can perform, helping you save time and get things done even when your hands are busy. The list below gives just a few examples:

• Send a message - Start with “send a message to Katie” and Siri will ask what you want to tell Katie. Then just dictate your message as if a real-life assistant were taking notes. Remember, Siri can only send short texts, like “Meet you at the pub in 10” for example.
• Make a call - This can be very useful if you’re driving or don’t have a free hand to hold the phone. After pressing the home button, say “call Dad” and Siri should have yours on the line in no time at all.
• Set an alarm - Tell Siri to set an alarm for a particular time. You can ask it to set as many as you need. You can program your alert for a specific day - like “Set an alarm for eight on Tuesday” - or even arrange a timed nap by saying “wake me up in an hour”.
• Find information - You can ask Siri almost anything and it will try to find the answer using a range of online sources. One suggestion might be “where is the nearest restaurant?” or “is there a Pizza Express in Holborn?”
• Find a contact - Just say someone’s name - like “Simon Piper ” - and Siri will scan your contacts for their information. As long as you have the details stored, Simon’s phone number, email and home address will be displayed.
• Schedule a meeting - Using Siri to jot down appointments and meeting times can be a real time saver. Just tell Siri “meet Ross for coffee at four” or “appointment with nurse at nine on Tuesday” and your diary date will be saved.
• Set reminders - Another useful feature is Siri’s ability to give reminders. This is handy when you need prior warning of an event that’s approaching. For example, “remind me to put the bin out on Friday” or “on 15 May remind me it’s a week until Pete’s birthday”.
• Play music - If you’re out jogging or want some dinner music as you’re sat at the table, you can ask Siri to play a specific song, artist or album - or a set playlist you already have saved. Try saying “play some Duran Duran” or “play the song Girls on Film”.
• Check the weather - When you instruct Siri to do certain things, it will identify an app it can use to get the job done. Ask it “what is the weather like in London” and it will use the Weather app to bring up a detailed forecast for the next five days.
• Have a laugh - The developers at Apple were careful to make sure Siri was given its own sense of humour. So try asking things like “what is the meaning of life?” or “do you think you’re clever?” and just see what Siri comes up with.

Top tip - for a full list of things Siri can do, simply ask Siri “what can you do?”

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Tips for getting better results

As clever as Siri is, there are certain limitations with any piece of software or technology. Some commands will always work better than others and there are simple ways of making it easier for Siri to understand you. The list below provides a few basic tips which may help:

• Check your connection - The application uses a remote server to process your words and select an appropriate response. A stronger connection will deliver faster and more accurate results. You can only use Siri while connected to the internet.
• Be specific - Always give Siri clear instructions. It is no good saying “send a text” without telling it who you want the recipient to be.
• Keep it short and sweet - Cram in the details instead of rattling off a long speech. An instruction like “meeting with Vinesh, at five in Camden on Tuesday” will work much better than speaking in two or three separate sentences.
• Don’t hesitate - Try not to pause halfway through a command. Fire out the whole sentence in one go and be wary of saying “ummm” between words. Those with speech problems may have difficulty using Siri.
• Speak clearly - It may seem obvious, but it’s important - especially when you’re saying people’s names. For instance, if you had a “Jon Ingram” and a “Don Simpson” Siri could get confused if you mumble or speak too quietly.

Top tip When adding contacts, choose a relationship - such as wife, daughter or boss - so that Siri can understand you better. Saying “call my husband” might work better if he has a long or complex sounding name.

Do I need an iPhone 4S for Siri?

Yes - you can only use Siri on the iPhone 4S. Even with the iOS 5 operating system, Siri will not work on an older version of the iPhone - nor is it available on iPad or iPod Touch devices. In addition to an iPhone 4S, you will also need a working internet connection - the stronger the better. Make sure you’re using your iPhone 4S with a 3G network offering reliable service in your area.

You can use an online mobile coverage checker, which most networks provide, to find out what signal strength you’re likely to get at home and in other places you’ll be using your phone - like at work or down the pub. Before you sign a contract, it’s a good idea to find the cheapest deals by comparing offers from multiple networks online.

What if I have a strong accent?

Amid the hype surrounding Apple’s launch of the iPhone 4S came widespread reports of Siri being unable to interpret certain regional speech variations. It was reported that some Scottish users found themselves lost in translation as it failed to understand them. These problems occurred despite Apple saying that Siri is “designed to recognise the specific accents and dialects” of all supported countries.

The company has yet to announce whether future updates will resolve these issues, but it could be a possibility further down the line. For now, the thing to remember is that if you have a particularly strong accent, you may have difficulty using Siri.

Do I have to speak English to use Siri?

No, you don’t have to be an English speaker to use Siri. In fact, Siri can also speak and understand French and German. You could say English is Siri’s main language, however, as Apple engineers have designed it to differentiate between British, Australian and American language variations. Users can select their preference from the settings menu. As time goes by, Apple is planning to introduce more languages. In 2012, Siri will support a number of additional options, including Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Italian and Spanish.

Siri can be used in any country - and in any language, no matter where in the world you are. However, the software is designed to recognise specific native accents and dialects of each language it supports, meaning the accuracy rate will be higher for native speakers.

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