Five Cool Tips for Siri in iOS 8

Siri and I are becoming best buds. The more I learn about her the more excited I get about using her skills. I’ve tried calling Siri “it”, but it just doesn’t feel right, so “her” it will have to be. Following are more cool things Siri in iOS 8 can do for you.

Make Siri Wait Until You Are Finished Speaking

This was the one thing that really bugged me about using Siri. If I stopped speaking for even a second while I tried to remember that next word, Siri would assume I was through and act accordingly.

There is an easy solution. Continue to hold down the Home button until you are finished speaking and she will very politely wait her turn.

Launch Settings For Specific Apps

I particularly like this tip for launching settings for specific apps because it bypasses all the steps you have to take after you even find and open the main Settings app. You just tell Siri to open that specific setting.

Remember that you can launch Siri without even turning on your phone, but if you utilize a passcode, you will have to tap it in first. Once you see the microphone icon at the bottom of the screen that tells you Siri is on, say Open (application) settings and you will be taken directly there. As an example, I said Open Safari settings and got this screen.

Safari settings screen

Open An App

Siri will open any app for you, even third party ones. Once you see the microphone icon at the bottom of the screen say Open (app name) and it will open. If you have more than one app with a similar name such as ABC Flashcards - Animals and ABC Flashcards - Fruit, Siri will ask you which one you want and you tap on your choice.

Let Siri Be Your Personal Assistant

This is a good tip to utilize when you are driving or just feel lazy. It is an invaluable tip for those with severe visual impairments. Siri will read your messages and play your voicemail. Just give the appropriate command such as “Read my latest email”, or “Read my latest message”. Once Siri has read it, she will ask if you want to reply, and follow your directions accordingly.

Likewise you can say “Play my voicemail” and Siri will read them aloud and give you options to dictate a reply or ignore. 

Siri pulls up latest voicemail

Let Siri Search Your Emails Or Notes

Speaking of being a personal assistant, Siri will even search your emails or notes and then open the one that matches your query. If there are more than one that qualifies, she will list them for you. Say “Find email about (name topic)”.  As an example I asked Siri to find email about huddle, saying “Find email about huddle". I got the following response. I tapped on the message to open it.

Siri finds my message

Then I asked her to find emails about response. I tried using Comment response, but she heard Comet instead of Comment, so I adjusted my request.

Siri found several messages to match my query

When I reviewed the list offered I just tapped the one I wanted and it opened for me to view.

Next, I asked Siri to find note about Magnus iPad stand. She gave me this response.

Siri's response to my query 

I could also have asked her to find note about caselogic and she would have given me the same note.

Five more tips to make Siri your own. Whohoo! My favorite is the one about making Siri wait until you are through speaking, but the other four, launching settings for an app, opening an app, using Siri as a personal assistant, and using Siri to search email or notes should find universal appeal.