One of the most sensational features of the new Apple devices is the Siri function, which can understand your questions and commands and tell you the information you need. While iPhones usually get the biggest highlight of Siri, you can also get full use of Siri on your new iPad. Follow this guide to learn how to activate Siri, as well as an overview of some of the most common commands.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Activating Siri
Step 1. Make sure you have a compatible iPad
Siri is available on iPad 3 and later. This is not available on the original iPad or iPad 2. You must have an active internet connection to use Siri.
Step 2. Check if Siri is activated
If you have a compatible iPad, go to Settings then look for the Siri section. Toggle the Siri slider to ON.
- In iOS 7, you can choose between a male voice and a female voice.
- You can select different languages for Siri, including Spanish, French, Chinese, Cantonese, Japanese, German, Italian, and Korean.
Step 3. Press and hold the Home button to activate Siri
You will hear a beep, and the Siri interface will open. iOS 6 vs iOS 7 has a different interface, but the basic functionality is the same.
Step 4. Ask questions or give commands to Siri
Siri will search the internet, change your settings, and open apps for you without you having to search for them yourself. If you want to see in-depth details of the commands that can be given, you can press the "?" icon. and browse the command menu.
Speak clearly and slowly at first until you can get a feel for how well Siri recognizes your voice. If you speak too fast or too quietly, Siri could misinterpret your commands
Part 2 of 2: Using Siri
Step 1. Use Siri for general iPad navigation
You can use Siri to open apps, play music, initiate FaceTime calls, send emails, find businesses, and more. Here are some basic commands to get started:
- “Open Camera” (Open Camera - If you have multiple camera apps installed, you will be asked to select one).
- “Launch Facebook” (Run Facebook - you can use any app on your iPad using this command).
- “Play”
- “Play/Skip/Pause” (Affect music playback)
- “Play iTunes Radio” (Play iTunes Radio)
- “Check e-mail” (Check e-mail)
- “New email to”
- “Find pizza near me”
- “Find the nearest gas station”
Step 2. Use Siri to change your settings and preferences
You can use Siri to find and adjust almost all of your iPad's settings, which will save you time because you don't have to search the Settings menu for the options you need. Some useful commands include:
- “Turn on Wi-Fi” (Enable Wi-fi)
- “Turn on Do Not Disturb”
- “Turn up/down brightness” (Increase/decrease brightness)
- “Turn on flashlight” (Turn on flashlight)
- “Turn on Bluetooth” (Enable Bluetooth)
- "Change text size"
Step 3. Use Siri to search the internet
By default, Siri will perform all web searches using the Bing search engine. If you prefer to search with Google, add the word "Google" to your search term. You can also search for images.
- “Search the web for -----”
- “Search Google for -----”
- “Search for images of -----”
Step 4. Manage your calendar with Siri
Siri can add events to your Calendar app, modify them, and provide information about your events.
- “Set up meeting with at”
- ”Reschedule my appointment with to “
- “Cancel the meeting with”
- “When is my next meeting?” (When is my next meeting?)
Step 5. Access Wikipedia using Siri
When you search Wikipedia using Siri, you are presented with an intro image (if any) as well as the first paragraph. To read the entire entry, tap the result.
- “Tell me about -----”
- “Search Wikipedia for -----”
Step 6. Use Siri to browse Twitter
You can use Siri to return tweets from specific users, browse topics, or see what's trending.
- "What's saying?" (What did ?)
- “Search Twitter for -----”
- “What are people saying about -----?” (What topics are trending right now-----?)
Step 7. Get directions with Siri
Siri will work with the Maps app to find directions to places you specify. You can give various commands related to navigation and ask about the time and location of the trip.
- “How do I get home?” (How do I get home?)
- “Show directions to”
- “Take me to the nearest ATM” (Take me to the nearest ATM)
Step 8. Experiment with commands
Siri has a huge list of commands, and many more are available for each iOS. Try asking Siri to see what results you get. Often, you don't even have to say the entire phrase, just the keywords for your question. Siri is very useful for automating daily tasks on your iPad, such as messaging, browsing the internet, and email, so you'll find the most functional in Siri.
Tips
- You can tell Siri to call you by a different name if you want or to remember that a contact is a family member or partner so you can call or message them quickly.
- Siri can be accessed by pressing and holding the Home button in any app and even from the locked screen of the iPad.
Warning
- When you try to call, email, or message someone who's registered multiple times or with the same name with different contacts, Siri will ask you to confirm which contact you want to use. Make sure you speak clearly so as not to contact the wrong person.
- Make sure you speak clearly towards the top of your iPad (where the microphone is) to achieve accurate results.
