Take Control of Siri (3.0) cover
ISBN:978-1-990783-67-8
Version:3.0
Pages:137
Size (PDF):3.1 MB
Date:April 22, 2025
Make the most of Apple’s digital assistant!

Take Control of
Siri

Third Edition
Scholle McFarland

When it comes to using your Apple devices, Siri is the hands-free, time-saving, and fun technology that ties everything together. Whether you want to ask a question, make a call, find your iPhone, or set a timer, not only can Siri do it, but it usually offers the fastest way. This book explores how to get the most out of Siri on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and HomePod.

All Take Control books are delivered in two ebook formats—PDF and EPUB—and can be read on nearly any device. We do not sell printed books.

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Siri, Apple’s voice-controlled digital assistant, has been around since 2010, when it debuted on the iPhone. But since then, it has become vastly more powerful and useful, and has spread across Apple’s entire ecosystem—it now runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and HomePod. Siri can listen and speak in a wide range of languages and accents, perform a long list of helpful day-to-day tasks, and keep you entertained in the process. And, starting with iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS 15.2, Siri gains both Apple Intelligence features and a connection to ChatGPT.

Although Siri is easy to use, it’s so multitalented that you might easily overlook some of its best features. In this book, former Macworld editor Scholle McFarland takes you deep into Siri’s capabilities. You’ll learn tons of tips and tricks about making the most of Siri. Discover how Siri can increase your efficiency and productivity, lend a hand when you’re in the car or out for a jog, and even make it simpler to play music or find movies and TV shows to watch.

Among many other things, this book teaches you:

  • What hardware and software you need to use Siri
  • The relationship between Siri and Apple Intelligence (on supported devices)
  • How to change Siri’s language, voice, and speed
  • Ways to personalize Siri by telling it about yourself, your contacts, and more
  • The numerous ways to activate Siri (by touch or by voice)
  • How to use Siri with AirPods, wired earbuds, or third-party headphones
  • The (optional) role of ChatGPT in answering Siri requests
  • When and to what extent you can use Siri without an internet connection
  • What to do if the wrong device answers your “Siri” or “Hey Siri” request
  • How to ask Siri about sports, math and conversions, time, food, health, movies, people, stocks, the weather, jokes, real-world sounds, random facts, and more
  • Tips for asking Siri follow-up questions
  • How to control music (on any device, with or without an Apple Music subscription)
  • Techniques for using Siri to get directions, set reminders and appointments, send messages and email, start FaceTime calls, take notes, read articles, and get help with your Apple products
  • How to use Siri to share what’s on your screen with Messages
  • What Siri can and can’t do for you on an Apple TV or HomePod
  • How to get your HomePod to recognize different people’s voices
  • Everything you need to know about your privacy where Siri is involved

Whether you’re new to Siri or a seasoned pro, you’re sure to find lots of tricks and suggestions in this book to improve your experience of using Siri.

Scholle McFarland

About Scholle McFarland

Scholle McFarland has been covering the Mac since 1996 as an editor at MacUser magazine and then Macworld. During that time, she witnessed Apple transform from everyone’s favorite “doomed” company to everyone’s actually favorite company and is still amazed by the whole thing.

When she’s not working, Scholle (“Sholly”) likes to hang out with her family, friends, and many animals in beautiful Portland, Oregon.

What's New in the Third Edition

The third edition of Take Control of Siri is updated for iOS 18.5 and iPad OS 18.5, as well as macOS Sequoia 15.5 and watchOS 11.2. Because of the big changes to Siri that arrived with these updates, some of what I describe works differently, or not at all, in earlier versions of macOS and iOS. Note that new Apple Intelligence features—which Apple has said will roll out gradually this year—are also limited to newer iPhones and Macs (see “Which Devices Are Compatible with Apple Intelligence?”).

Along with hundreds of small changes in the book, larger revisions include:

  • What you need to use Siri. See “Get Started with Apple Intelligence.”
  • Discover all the cool things you can do with ChatGPT. See “Tap into ChatGPT.”
  • If you’re using AirPods Pro (2nd generation) or later, you can now shake or nod your head to respond to Siri requests. See “Answer Siri Without Words.”
  • Trigger Apple’s voice assistant by saying either “Hey Siri” or just “Siri.” See “Activate Siri with Your Voice.”
  • With a supported iPhone or iPad, Siri now works—albeit with limitations—even when you don’t have internet access; see “An Internet Connection.”
  • Siri includes more diverse voice options. Learn about them in “Change Siri’s Language and Voice.”
  • New accessibility options let you change how quickly Siri speaks and how long it waits for you to finish talking on your mobile device. See “Adjust Siri’s Speed on an iPhone or iPad.”
  • Make follow-up requests without reactivating Siri (on supported iPhones running iOS 17 or later).
  • Siri now lets you correct yourself if you misspeak. See “Correct Mistakes On the Fly.”
  • Siri can read articles to you. See “Read an Article Out Loud.”
  • Call your emergency contacts using Siri. See “Call for Help.”
  • Make group FaceTime calls by asking Siri to FaceTime a group name from Messages. See “FaceTime a Friend.”
  • Share what’s on your screen—from a maps location to a webpage to a podcast—using Siri with Messages. See “Share What’s on Screen.”
  • Send a message from third-party apps like WhatsApp with Siri. See “Send a Message.”
  • Skip the confirmation step after you dictate messages with Siri and send them automatically. See “Send a Message.”
  • Apple has enhanced Siri’s privacy settings and policies, converting audio into words on your device instead of sending files to Apple servers; running most Apple Intelligence requests on your device; and offering a new Private Cloud Compute option so that your data is never stored or shared with Apple. See “Understand Siri and Your Privacy.”
  • Read Me First
    • Updates and More
    • ​Basics
    • What’s New in the Third Edition
  • Introduction
  • Siri Quick Start
  • Brush Up on Siri Basics
    • What You Need to Get Started
    • Change Siri’s Language and Voice
    • Control How Siri Talks Back to You
  • Activate Siri with Your Voice
    • Use “Hey Siri” on Your iPhone or iPad
    • Use “Hey Siri” on Your Apple Watch
    • Use “Hey Siri” on Your HomePod
    • Use “Hey Siri” On Your Mac
  • Activate Siri By Touch
    • Trigger Siri Manually on an iPhone or iPad
    • Trigger Siri by Touch on Your Watch
    • Trigger Siri by Touch on HomePod
    • Trigger Siri by Touch on Your Apple TV
    • Trigger Siri Manually on a Mac
    • Don’t Forget Your Headphones
  • Get Started with Apple Intelligence
    • Enable Apple Intelligence
    • Set Up ChatGPT Integration
    • Correct Mistakes On the Fly
    • Type Questions to Siri
  • Tap into ChatGPT
    • Compose the Perfect Prompt
    • Work with Images
    • Experiment and Learn
  • Get Answers to Questions
    • Ask About Sports
    • Ask About Math and Conversions
    • Ask About Time
    • Ask About Food
    • Ask About People
    • Ask About Stocks
    • Ask About the Weather
    • Ask About Health
    • Ask About Random Facts
    • Ask for a Joke
    • Ask for Help with Apple Products
  • Control Your Music
    • Work with Your Music
    • Find New Music
    • Do More with Stations and Playlists
  • Make a Call
    • Make a Phone Call
    • Use the Speaker
    • Redial a Number
    • Call for Help
    • Listen to Voicemail
    • FaceTime a Friend
  • Get Directions
    • Ask for Directions
    • Find a Business
    • Check Traffic
  • Remind Yourself
    • Create a Reminder
    • Organize Your Reminders
    • Work with Your Reminders
  • Make a Date
    • Check Your Schedule
    • Create an Event
    • Change an Event
    • Cancel an Event
  • Send Messages
    • Send a Message
    • Send an Audio Message
    • Share What’s on Screen
    • Read Your Messages
    • Reply to a Message
  • Send Email
    • Write an Email Message
    • Read Email Messages
    • Reply to Email Messages
    • Find Email Messages
  • Take a Note
    • Create a New Note
    • Give a Note a Name
    • Find Notes
    • Listen to Your Notes
  • Grab Bag of Other Useful Tricks
    • Find Your Apple Devices
    • Set a Timer
    • Set an Alarm
    • Retrieve Passwords
    • Read an Article Out Loud
    • Work with Settings
    • Launch an App
    • Play Ambient Sounds
    • Translate a Phrase
    • Look Up a Word
    • Track Down Friends and Family
    • Turn Your HomePod into an Intercom
    • Send or Request Money
    • Take a Photo (or a Selfie)
    • Hear the Headlines
    • Read Webpages Aloud
    • Control Your Home
  • Understand Siri and Your Privacy
    • Is Apple Keeping Track of What I Say?
    • Does Siri Share Other Information About Me with Apple?
    • Will “Hey Siri” Devices Record My Conversations?
    • Could Apps Hijack My Devices’ Microphones and Listen In?
    • How Does Apple Intelligence Change Things?
    • What About ChatGPT and Privacy?
  • About This Book
    • Ebook Extras
    • About the Author
    • About the Publisher
  • Copyright and Fine Print

Scholle McFarland talks Siri with Chuck Joiner

Posted by Joe Kissell on February 26, 2021

Scholle McFarland joined Chuck Joiner on MacVoices to discuss the new second edition of her book Take Control of Siri. She describes new features and capabilities in Siri across Apple’s operating systems.

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