Hey Siri: 134 Voice Commands To Get The Most Out Of Apple Assistant

We bring you a guide in which we tell you 134 voice commands for Siri, Apple’s voice assistant for your devices. In this way, if you have any of this manufacturer’s devices, you will be able to get the most out of it with our collection, which we have organized into various categories depending on their functionalities, and you have practically everything, from the use of functions to small games.

But before you get started, the first thing to know is that features can often depend on the device you’re using Siri on. We have done tests with an iPhone and a MacBook, and although they generally all work on the mobile, sometimes they don’t on the computer. And the same goes for speakers and other connected devices.

And as we always say at Xataka Basics, we are also interested in the opinion of our readers. So if there’s any other slightly more hidden or nifty command you like to use in Siri that isn’t mentioned in the list, we invite you to share it with everyone in the comments section. Thus, the rest of the readers will be able to benefit from the knowledge of our xatakeros.

Apps and system settings

Let’s start with the main basic functions of your assistant, those that allow you to make changes to the settings or open specific applications, which are small tasks with which you can save yourself a few keystrokes when looking for certain things.

• Open [application name]: Open the installed application that you tell it on your iPhone, iPad, or your Mac, such as Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, etc.
• Turn [setting name] on/off: You can turn specific settings on or off, such as data connection, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.
• Volume up/down: Raise or lower the volume of your device.
• Mute the volume: Mute your device.
• Unmute: If the device is muted, turn the volume back on.
• Set the volume to maximum/minimum: Increase your device’s volume to the maximum or decrease it to the minimum.
• Set the volume to 35%: You can specify the specific volume level you want to have.
• Brightness Up/Down: Raise or lower the brightness of your iPhone, iPad, or Mac screen.
• Take me a selfie: Activate the front camera of your device, but without taking a photo.
• Take a photo: Activate your device’s rear camera, but without taking a photo.
• Record a video: It also activates your device’s rear camera, although without specifying that to record a video.
• Open Notification settings: Allows you to access a certain menu within your system settings.
• I want to listen to [artist you want to listen to]: Open Apple Music or the streaming service you have installed and start listening to music by the artist you have told it.
• Play music by [artist you want to hear]: Another command to open Apple Music or whatever streaming service you have installed and start listening to music by the artist you told it to.
• Play [song name] by [artist]: You can also ask for specific songs.
• What’s playing? : She starts to listen and tells you the song that is playing.
• Put music from Spotify: If you have Apple Music but also Spotify, you can ask to specifically open one of these applications.
• Play [podcast name] podcast: Open the podcast app to play a specific podcast.

Messages and calls

When you are driving, busy typing, or directly doing something with an Apple smart speaker next to you, you can use Siri to make calls or send messages using different apps you have installed.

• Call [name]: You make a phone call to the person you tell the assistant. You have to say her name exactly as you have it on the agenda.
• FaceTime to [name]: Initiate a FaceTime call to your specified contact. You have to say his name exactly as you have it on the agenda.
• Send a message to [name]: Send a message through the Messages app. If the other person has an iPhone, it will be an iMessage, and if not, an SMS.
• Send an SMS to [name]: Send a message through the Messages app. If the other person has an iPhone, it will be an iMessage, and if not, an SMS.
• Send a message from [application] to [name]: If you have other messaging apps installed, like Telegram or WhatsApp, you can use this command to send messages to a certain contact through them.
• Send a message from [application] to [name] and tell him that [message]: You send a message to the person you tell the assistant using the chosen messaging application, and tell him what you dictate. You have to say his name exactly as you have it on the agenda.
• Send an email to [name] and tell him that [body of the text]: You email the person you tell the assistant using the chosen messaging application and tell him what you dictate. You have to say his name exactly as you have it on the agenda. If the contact has multiple addresses, it will give you a choice.
• Open my contacts: Open the contacts application.
• Open the contact of [name]: Open a specific contact to see their information.
• Birthday date of [name]: It tells you the birthday date you have configured for the contact you tell him.

Alarm configuration

You can configure the messages and alarms on your iPhone or iPad, although it is not usually possible on Macs. However, it is also very useful when using an assistant because sometimes you may be thinking of an alarm that you want to configure, and you prefer to do it quickly and not risk that when you find the option in the menus, you have already forgotten it.

• Set an alarm at [time]: You set it when you tell it today.
• Add an alarm at [time]: When you tell it tomorrow, you set the alarm.
• Wake me up tomorrow at [time]: You set an alarm clock for the next day at the time you set.
• Deactivate the next alarm: Deactivate the next alarm you have, but without touching the others.
• Reactivate the next alarm: Deactivate the next alarm you have, but without touching the others.
• Turn off all alarms: Turn off all your alarms.
• Set the alarm on [day] at [time]: You set the alarm on the day you want by saying its number and at the preferred time.
• Where is my [device]: This can be used from any device, and it starts the function to find another Apple device linked to your account and makes a sound.

Reminders, appointments, and notes

Siri will allow you to configure all the reminders, appointments, and notes you need to organize your life more easily with your voice. All of them will be synced across all the Apple devices you use your user account on, so it’s handy to jot down these calendar appointments, notes, or reminders wherever you want whenever Siri is listening.

• Remind me that [whatever you want me to remind you of]: You set a reminder with what you tell it.
• Remind me [day and time] [whatever you want to be reminded of]: Set a reminder specifying the day and time you want to receive it.
• Tell me my reminders – Siri tells you the upcoming reminders you have set.
• See my reminders: Opens the Reminders app so you can see what’s there and manage them.
• Put a countdown of [as long as you want]: If you do it on mobile or tablet, create a countdown. If you do it on the Mac, it does it via reminder.
• Set an appointment [day] at [time] [appointment name]: Set an appointment on the day and time you tell it, with the name you specify. Save it to the calendar.
• What do I have for today? : It lists all the appointments you have configured for today.
• How will my day be? : It lists all the appointments you have configured for today.
• What do I have for [day]? : Tells you the appointments for tomorrow, the day after, or the day you specify.
• What I have for the weekend: It also tells you the appointments for specific periods.
• What plans do I have for tomorrow? : You ask him about the appointments set for tomorrow.
• When is my next appointment? : Tells you when you have the next appointment set.
• Add dinner with friends to the calendar for Saturday at nine o’clock: With this formula, you can also add appointments to the calendar, specifying the day and time.
• Where have I parked? : If you have saved your parking location with Apple Maps, this will remind you where it is.
• Create a note [name]: You can create a note quickly
• What notes I have: It tells you what your created notes are.
• Open notes: Open the notes application to consult and edit them.

Travel and traffic

Perhaps you are in the living room with your friends and begin to think about where you can go on a trip on the next long weekend or vacation, or you are simply about to leave home to take a trip or go somewhere. In those cases, you will be able to ask Siri for information related to travel, be it distances, how to get to places, or what the traffic is at the moment.

• Directions to [site]: Open the maps app, find the location you asked for, and draw a route to get there. You just need to click on the option to start it.
• I want to go to [place]: Open the maps application; it looks for the location you requested and plots a route. You just need to click on the option to start it.
• Where am I? : Shows on the map and tells you the location where you are.
• Where is a pharmacy nearby? : It tells you the nearest pharmacy and asks if you want to go. If you say no, it tells you the next closest.
• Where is the nearest [establishment]? : Search for the name or type of establishment, and it tells you directly the closest one. It asks you if it’s the one you want; if it is, it gives you a chance to call or give directions.
• How long does it take to go to [site]? : It tells you how long the journey lasts to where you tell it.
• Interesting places in [city, country]: The points of interest in a city or country are based on Maps data.
• Place of interest in [city, country]: It will list places marked as interest in Apple Maps.
• How is the traffic in [city]: It tells you the traffic information in the city that you ask for.
• I want a train to [city, country]: It tells you the trains that you have nearby to go to the city that you tell it the day you ask for.
• I want a bus to [city, country]: It gives you the directions to get to the city that you tell it by public transport.
• **What are the Prado Museum hours? He tells you the hours of the establishment for which you ask.
• How much distance is there between [place] and [place]: It tells you the distance between two places.
• Where can I have dinner today in [city]? : It tells you the restaurants recommended on TripAdvisor in the city that you tell it.
• Tell me a good place to eat: Recommends the best-rated place near you to eat.
• Map of [country, city]: It shows you a tab with the information of the country or location that you tell it, including a map.
• I want to go to work: If you have a work address set, it shows you a route.
• I want to go home: If you have an address set for your home, it shows you a route.

Set up your nicknames and relationships.

Siri has a system of nicknames that you can customize and use when interacting with specific contacts without having to say the name with which you have them in the calendar. For example, it is not the same to tell Siri to call Eustaquio Xatakero or simply tell them to call her brother-in-law. You can also put a nickname for yourself.

• I want you to call me [name or nickname]: You can have Siri address you with this nickname.
• My father/mother’s name is [name]: Link a contact so Siri remembers they are your mother or father.
• My boss’s name is [name]: Link a contact to remind Siri they’re your boss.
• My girlfriend’s name is [name]: Assign a contact for Siri to recognize as your girlfriend or boyfriend.
• My wife’s name is [name]: You can assign a contact for Siri to recognize as your wife or husband.
• My brother-in-law is called [name]: Beyond what we have already told you, you can assign many family relationships with other contacts by saying their name
• Call my wife: Once you have set these names, you no longer need to say the contact’s name; you can use their nickname or rating.
• Call Dad: Siri will also recognize the different ways to call a type of family member. You may have set up your father by saying he is your father, but then you can ask him to call daddy, and he will recognize that you mean the same relative.

Weather information

Siri will also allow you to check the weather in your city or any other location in various ways, giving you dynamism and versatility in your requests. You can also ask for predictions for today or another day, and also other types of weather information.

• What the weather is going to be like today: It tells you what the weather is going to be like today in the town where you are.
• What the weather is going to be like tomorrow/the day after tomorrow: It tells you what the weather is going to be like in the following days in the town where you are. You can also ask for other days like “next Monday.”
• Is it going to be hot/cold today? : Another command to show you the weather and temperature at the location you are at.
• The weather in [name of the city]: You can ask for the weather information in a location other than yours.
• What will the weather be like on [day] in [city name]: You can also ask about the weather on specific days in different locations.
• Is it going to rain in [city name]? : Another command to show you the weather and the probability of rain in the location that you ask.
• Is it going to rain this weekend? : You can ask it if it’s going to rain or it’s going to be sunny, and it will tell you the answer related to your city.
• How much wind is it going to be: It gives you information about the wind that will be in the town where you are, or in the one that you indicate.
• What humidity is today: It tells you the humidity that will be today in your locality or in the one that you specify.
• At what time does sunrise/sunset today: It gives you the times at which the sun rises or sets in your locality or in the one you tell it.

Other information