iOS 17: Everything New With Siri and Spotlight

[MacRumors]

In iOS 17, Apple added a handful of new improvements to on-device personal assistant Siri and the Spotlight search feature. There aren't any major changes, but Spotlight search has improved, and for Siri, it's easier than ever to use.

This guide highlights all of the Siri and Spotlight features and changes in iOS 17.

No More Hey Siri

You can just say "Siri" to activate Siri, dropping the "Hey" that's been used as a wake word for years. Siri will activate when you say the Siri word, so you can speak more naturally.

"Siri, can you tell me what time it is?" is a phrase that Siri recognizes, for example.

Back-to-Back Requests

Siri is able to recognize and respond to multiple back-to-back requests without needing to be reactivated.

You can, for example, ask Siri to tell you the time, and then follow that up with a request to text your friend that you're going to be late all in the same Siri request.

Web Articles

In Safari, there's a new Siri feature that allows the personal assistant to read a web article to you. As long as a site has Reader View available, you can say "Siri, read this to me" to have Siri read the content on the page.

• How to Get Siri to Read Web Articles to You

There are playback tools, so you can fast forward, pause, resume, and rewind from the Lock Screen.

Siri Messaging

When you ask Siri to send a message, you can now tap to select which app you want to send it from. This allows you to send messages not just from Apple's built-in Messages app, but also third-party apps like Telegram and WhatsApp.

The feature is compatible with any third-party app that has "Use with Ask Siri" enabled in the Settings app.

Siri and StandBy

Siri can be activated in StandBy mode, the new option for turning a charging iPhone into a home hub. When you ask Siri a question, there's a new full-screen UI that will show the results in landscape mode.

If you ask about the weather, for example, you'll see the current temperature and icons that denote the weather conditions.

Siri UK Voices

There are two new "British" Siri voices available in iOS 17, making a total of four.

Siri in India

iOS 17 supports bilingual Siri queries that mix English with Hindi, Telegu, Punjabi, Kannada, or Marathi.

Spotlight Search

Search results have been improved with new colors and app icons to make it easier to see what's what. If you search for cats, for example, and one of the results is an option to tap into Safari for a web search, you'll see a Safari icon instead of the prior magnifying glass icon.

App Shortcuts

When searching for an app, Spotlight now offers App Shortcuts in the top hits section. If you search for Photos and often go to the Favorites album, Spotlight will show you a link to get directly to the Favorites album from the search interface.

Read More

Additional details on the new features in the iOS 17 update can be found in our iOS 17 roundup.

Article Link: iOS 17: Everything New With Siri and Spotlight

 

[ShivneelSingh]

Back-to-back requests, new UK voices, and no more "Hey Siri." Cannot wait for the update!

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

For some reason I don't find myself using Siri anymore. Sometimes I forget it's even there.

 

[slomtbr]

And you get the pleasure of telling Siri (in CarPlay) which app you want to use to listen to music.
Every
Single
Time

Without cellular service, Siri used to (≤ios16) would tell you there's a network problem, but play your request anyway. Now (iOS17db5), it just doesn't work.

 

[macguru212]

Well, I use Siri daily, and if not many times a day. I only wish I could change the name to "Hey, Stupid!"

 

[now i see it]

With so many new features presented in iOS 17, it’s guaranteed that it’s going to be a very rough draft on release day (bugocopia)

 

[UCLA-Bruin]

But can the new Siri handle this command?: "Navigate home and share my ETA with my family group."

 

[jmpage2]

Great, now instead of Siri just activating when I say "hey" (son's name) it will just activate every time I say his name which phonetically sounds NOTHING like "Siri".

 

[v0lume4]

For some reason I don't find myself using Siri anymore. Sometimes I forget it's even there.

You aren't missing much.

 

[diddl14]

Really really curious to see how the new "Siri" trigger experience will be on HomePod. It happens too often while I'm on a (video) call that my HomePod suddenly starts playing random music or looks up weird stuff on the internet.

With all the advancements in AI, there is hope the trigger recognition is actually better, not just more convenient.

 

[eicca]

Can’t wait for the accidental Siri trigger rate to skyrocket. Good job Apple, not thinking things through yet again.

 

[jayducharme]

I hope they get rid of the lag in CarPlay when beckoning Siri. For me, when I say "Hey, Siri", there's a pause of about three seconds before the Siri bubble appears. But then I can't say anything; I have to wait a few more seconds for the bubble to beep before I can utter my request. That's a recent development. Siri used to be more responsive.

 

[fatTribble]

Can we give Siri the computer voice from Star Trek performed by Majel Barrett?
Pleassse?

 

[Mr. Awesome]

The Hey Siri to Siri change is okay, but I find it most useful on the HomePod. It feels much more natural to use quickly for something like "Siri turn it down."

 

[Lioness~]

Siri is such a progress for human intelligence and communication, uhm not.

I can imagine that voice assistants can serve well for larger companies and such.
For people in general, improving and evolving general communication is a better idea then decreasing it with a not-so-smart assistant.

I maybe tried using Siri a month or two when it came, then I turned it off.
Never a regret.

 

[slomtbr]

At least in iOS 17db5, "Hey Siri" is still an option.

 

[macguru212]

Honestly, I can't wait for the back-to-back responses. I feel like an idiot talking to this thing sometimes.

 

[Lioness~]

The Hey Siri to Siri change is okay, but I find it most useful on the HomePod. It feels much more natural to use quickly for something like "Siri turn it down."

I guess I have too many Apple devices around, they are not far away. Older iPads are especially good to use as as control-devices with very few app's for certain inputs, so for me it’s easier to pic up or rather use it in the dock it stands in, to control such things that I assume that Siri is used for.

 

[raziel101]

This is unacceptable.

 

[Apple Fan 2008]

I really hope that dropping the “Hey” from “Hey Siri” doesn’t cause more problems than it solves.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

What about iPhoneOS 17?

 

[JapanApple]

"Siri, why are you terrible at answering questions?" Because I have terrible programmers.....

 

[macmac30]

Siri is such an absolute embarrassment. Do Apple employees/executives use Siri? Do you think Tim Cook has HomePods in his $10M+ home in Palm Springs and suffers daily with them? That would make me feel better because my wife and I have come to hate Siri. Yes, hate is a strong word but Siri is just so GD stupid and variable. "Who's speaking?" It's just me you idiot - the only MALE in the household!!! "Hmmm, this is taking a bit too long..." Yeah, no sh*t, it was a simple request to play music!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! After 5 years of pops and clicks, one of my two paired OG HomePods died a week ago. I replaced both with two new large HomePods in the hopes that 5 years of newer hardware improvements would help. Nope, Siri is still as bad as ever. Apple, for the love of technology, PLEASE do something to improve Siri!!! Finally, when I tell Siri good night, please change it so she says "Good night" lovingly instead of like she is asking a question!!!

 

[eperitus]

In the Messages screenshot, why does Aqara Home register itself as a Messages provider?

Sus …

 

[klasma]

This is unacceptable.

That's clearly zero percent, er, Siri percent.