How to customize Siri on your iPhone or iPad in iOS 10
- aug
- 31
Siri's more powerful than ever in iOS 10: Learn how to customize Siri to your liking and take control of the digital assistant's settings.
Apple has offered Siri, its voice-powered digital assistant, as part of the iPhone experience since 2011, but it's getting even more powerful with iOS 10. Not only can you can use Siri in a wide array of languages, give it a number of different voices, and even tell it what to call you, but you'll also be able to use it with apps, give more fine-tuned directions, and more. But before you can take charge of Siri, you'll want to customize your assistant to your liking. (It is your new assistant, after all — it should do what you want it to.)
While Siri's preferences were previously filed away under the General section in the Settings app, Siri has made the main settings menu in iOS 10. With this guide, you'll learn how to take control of all of Siri's settings in order to customize how the digital assistant works for you.
- How to set up Siri
- How to set up 'Hey Siri'
- How to turn Siri Lock screen access on and off
- How to change your Siri language
- How to change your Siri voice
- How to change your Siri Voice Feedback settings
- How to change your contact info for Siri
How to set up Siri
First things first: You'll want to make sure Siri is activated (or deactivated, if you've grown tired of Apple's voice assistant.)
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down and tap Siri.
Flip the switch next to Siri on. The switch should be green if you've turned Siri on.
How to set up "Hey Siri"
Want Siri to respond to you even if you're not holding down the Home button? Turn on "Hey Siri", which lets you say the eponymous catchphrase to trigger your iPhone's assistant.
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down and tap Siri.
Flip the switch next to Allow "Hey Siri" on. The switch will turn green if you've turned "Hey Siri" on.
Select Set Up Now.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to set up "Hey Siri".
Tap Done.
How to turn Siri Lock screen access on and off
If you'd prefer nefarious doers stay away from Siri if they ever get their hands on your iPhone, you can turn off Lock screen access for your assistant.
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down and tap Siri.
Flip the switch next to Access on Lock Screen on. The switch should be green if you've turned Lock screen access on, and white if it is off.
How to change your Siri language
Parlez-vous Français, Siri? If you're chatting to Siri in a different language, make sure it can understand you by selecting the appropriate option.
- Open Settings.
Scroll down and tap Siri.
Tap Language.
Select the language that Siri should use and listen for.
How to change your Siri voice
Dreamed of having a robot butler? You can change Siri's gender from female to male, and if you're using English, you can even choose one of three accents: American, Australian, or British.
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down and tap Siri.
Tap Siri Voice.
Select between American, Australian, and British accents for Siri.
Select either Male or Female for the gender of Siri's voice.
How to change your Siri Voice Feedback settings
When you speak to Siri, your voice assistant likes to talk back through your iPhone or iPad's speaker. If you want it to only display written queries, however, you can change your settings accordingly.
- Open Settings.
Scroll down and tap Siri.
Tap Voice Feedback.
Choose between Always On, Control with Ring Switch, and Hands-Free Only for when Siri should provide audio feedback.
How to change your Siri contact info
Siri securely looks at information from your contact card to perform certain actions, like "Give me directions to home," or "call my mother." If you've switched cards or want Siri to pay attention to other data, you can change that from Siri's settings.
- Open Settings.
Scroll down and tap Siri.
Tap My Info.
Scroll through your contact list until you find the contact whose information you would like Siri to use.
Questions?
Other questions about customizing Siri? Let us know in the comments.
