Apple’s switch from ‘Hey Siri’ to ‘Siri’ is so much better than everyone realizes

During the WWDC 2023 keynote, Apple previewed iOS 17. With the first developer beta now out, one of the many features I have been enjoying using is the new Siri call to action. After years of saying "Hey Siri" to ask the personal assistant for help, I can say just "Siri" with iOS 17.

As silly as it sounds, saving a "hey" makes the conversation more straightforward and feels more personal. Interestingly enough, although I also own an Amazon Echo (which means I only say "Alexa" constantly), it almost feels like a relief that Apple is slowly improving Siri.

That said, I only use Siri on iOS 17 for requests I know it will understand: "Turn on the TV," "Turn off bedroom lights," "Play something I like," and "How's the weather?"

Another feature arriving with iOS 17 that should have been available for ages now is new back-to-back requests for the personal assistant. Once you activate Siri, you can issue multiple requests without needing to reactivate it.

While I praise Apple for this feature, Siri in iOS 17 still feels outdated as it doesn't understand the context. Apple acknowledges that in the system's preview page. When featuring back-to-back requests, these are the examples the company gives: "Siri, text Emma I'm on my way," followed by "Remind me to water the plants when I get home."

Although the communication is encrypted – and Apple wants to ensure it stays that way – why can't Siri understand just a bit of the context, like "How's the weather in São Paulo?" followed by "What about Rio?"

When I asked the personal assistant that, it showed me the contact of someone I saved as Rio, so... maybe iOS 18?

As the company just teased the Apple Vision Pro spatial computer, and Siri plays a big part in the experience, I don't understand why it still feels so 2015 – although many recent reports explain the issue regarding the personal assistant.

A public beta of iOS 17 is expected for July, with the official release by the fall, most likely around September.

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Apple’s switch from ‘Hey Siri’ to ‘Siri’ is so much better than everyone realizes originally appeared on BGR.com on Wed, 7 Jun 2023 at 08:02:29 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.