iOS 17 lets you just say “Siri” instead of the usual “Hey Siri” trigger phrase. As a bonus, Apple’s digital assistant now recognizes multiple back-to-back commands.
- Apple’s shortened the familiar “Hey Siri” phrase to just “Siri” on compatible iPhone, iPad, Mac and AirPods models. iOS 17’s voice assistant can also handle multiple back-to-back requests without needing to be invoked again.
- Apple has re-trained its machine learning algorithm to implement this seemingly simple change while keeping the number of false positives to a minimum.
- Shortening the Siri wake-up phrase lets you launch the assistant faster.
Say “Siri” to activate the voice assistant
Apple announced the shorter Siri invocation prompt as part of the iOS 17 segment of the WWDC23 keynote event held on May 5, 2023. The feature is currently available in beta versions of iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and macOS Somona. It will expand to all users once these updates launch to the public in the fall.
You can set the shorter “Siri” trigger during the iOS setup or later in Settings. If you already use the virtual assistant on your devices, you’ll still need to train the device to use the shorter version by saying a few on-screen phrases aloud.
Even if you decline to set up the shorter “Siri” invocation after updating to iOS 17, regular “Hey Siri” will continue working, provided it was already enabled.
Devices that support the shorter “Siri” prompt
The new “Siri” trigger works on any iPhone or iPad running Apple’s latest updates, as well as the latest AirPods Pro and some Mac models.
Availability of the just “Siri” invocation:
- iPhone with at least iOS 17.0
- iPad with at least iPadOS 17.0
- Apple silicon Mac with at least macOS Sonoma
- AirPods Pro (second-generation model)
The shorter Siri invocation is unavailable on the Apple Watch and Apple TV.
The new “Siri” trigger is currently limited to the English language setting (Australia, Canada, Great Britain and the United States). Apple will train its algorithm to work with the “Siri” hot word in other languages, but that will take time.
Back-to-back requests
In addition, Siri on iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and macOS Sonoma also support multiple follow-up requests without having to invoke the assistant again.
For example, you could ask something along the lines of “Siri, text Dad I’m on my way,” and follow up with another request like “Remind me to water the plants when I get home” but without a “Siri” prefix. You can issue as many back-to-back requests as you want without repeating the magic word as long as Siri’s still listening.
iOS 17 tightens device requirements
iOS 17 has dropped support for older iPhone models, including the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. As for iPadOS 17, it doesn’t work on the first-generation iPad Pro and the fifth-generation iPad. macOS Sonoma is incompatible with older computers that ran Ventura just fine—it now requires a 2018 Mac or older.