Way back in February, it was revealed that the next update to iOS actually made some changes to selecting a default music player for streaming. However, it turns out that might not be the case after all. At least, that's not how Apple sees it.
I really like what Apple has done with the Siri interface in iOS & iPadOS 14 — especially when compared with iOS & iPadOS 13 and earlier. The new interface doesn’t take up as much space and has a more aesthetically pleasing interaction button, but in Apple’s typical fashion, even the new interface lacks user-driven customization.
Those looking to do more with the Siri interface are likely to give the nod of approval to a free jailbreak tweak called Astolfo, which was recently updated with iOS & iPadOS 14 in mind by iOS developer Litten. As some may remember, the tweak was originally worked on by Nepeta.
Siri does an okay job of understanding those who query the digital assistant. However, there is still room for improvement. Especially for those with atypical speech. But Apple, and other tech companies, are working on that.
Learn how to change Siri’s voice on your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and HomePod so you can try different accents and genders and set the one you like.
Just over a week after seeding the first betas of iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 to developers, the company moves on with the next version.
iOS 14.3, which arrived yesterday, includes a new Siri feature that allows the digital assistant to play various sounds on demand, including sounds of animals, vehicles, instruments and more.
Apple introduced a tinier version of its popular HomePod called HomePod mini. This smart speaker is not only smaller in size, but also in price as compared to its parent. Both of these features put the HomePod mini more in the running as a direct competitor to the Amazon Echo.
Whether for yourself or a gift for a loved one, you might be trying to decide between the two (or three including the Amazon Echo Dot). To help, we have a comparison of HomePod mini versus Amazon Echo. Hopefully this will help you pick the best smart speaker for your home or someone else’s.
While Apple made it possible for developers to access "Announce Messages with Siri", it's still not readily available in third-party apps. But it looks like the tide might be changing, at least a little.
Learn how to request Siri for a personal update of your day that includes the news, weather, traffic, reminders, and calendar appointments.
Siri can be super handy on HomePod and can do plenty of things for you. But one thing that was always a bit difficult was getting information that Siri didn’t have at hand. You might end up hearing something like, "Sorry, I can’t help with that".
With the iOS 14.1 update, HomePod also got a bit of a boost in abilities. You can use Apple Music for an alarm sound, check out the Intercom if you own more than one HomePod, and yes, have Siri send web results right to your iPhone.
Learn how to stop Siri from announcing incoming messages and notifications when you’re using your AirPods so you can enjoy listening to songs or podcasts without interruptions.
If you’re jailbroken on iOS 13 and use Spotify as your primary music streaming app, then chances are you might find yourself wishing that Siri worked as smoothly with Spotify as it did with Apple Music. Fortunately, a free jailbreak tweak called Spori by iOS developer udevs can make that happen.
Siri can already play tracks via the Spotify Music app if you specifically articulate that you’d like to play that song in Spotify, but who wants to waste their time adding those extra words to each and every Siri command? I, for one, certainly don't.