How to Talk to Siri by Saying “Hey Siri” – A Beginners Guide

Siri is a digital assistant that was first introduced on the iPhone in 2010. Since then, it has become an integral part of the Apple ecosystem, appearing on the iPad, Apple Watch, HomePod, Apple TV , and even Macs. Siri can perform a wide range of tasks, from sending text messages to setting alarms. And with each new generation of hardware, Siri gets smarter and more capable.

Saying “Hey Siri” activates the virtual assistant on your device. You will then be able to ask a question, make a request, or give a command. The voice recognition software in Siri allows it to understand what you are saying, even if you have an accent or if there are background noises.

How to use “Hey Siri”

To get started, trigger Siri on your device by saying:

Hey Siri.

You should hear a short beeping sound, and the Siri icon will appear on your device. If nothing happens, check you have Siri enabled.

Once you have Siri’s attention, you can speak naturally and do not need to pause after saying “Hey, Siri”. For example:

Hey Siri, how warm is it going to be today?

Hey Siri, send an email to my Dad.

Hey Siri, where is the nearest coffee shop?

Basic Siri commands

So now it’s time to have some fun and try out a few of the most popular Siri commands!

Once you’re comfortable talking to Siri, make sure you also take a look at our Siri Dictation Guide and Siri Commands for Apple Music for further helpful tips and tricks.

The results displayed on your device may look different from the screenshots below, depending on your iOS and device.

Ask Siri to tell the time

Ask Siri to tell you the time in your location or anywhere else in the world.

Hey Siri, what time is it?

Hey Siri, what time is it in Los Angeles?

Hey Siri, what’s the time difference between here and Berlin?

Hey Siri, what’s the time in Pacific Standard Time?

Set alarms

Set and edit as many alarms as you like without touching your device. Read our guide about advanced features such as changing and deleting alarms.

Hey Siri, set an alarm for 7 am.

Hey Siri, wake me up at 7 am.

Set timers

Never burn a meal or miss a meeting again! Quickly set a timer to prompt you into action. Find out what else timers can do.

Hey Siri, set a timer for 15 minutes.

Use the calendar

Add, change and remove appointments, meetings, and events on the move. Find out more about using Siri with the Calendar.

Hey Siri, schedule a meeting with Jane for Friday at 9 o’clock.

Hey Siri, do I have any meetings on Thursday?

Get directions

Directions and route details are calculated and displayed using the inbuilt Maps app. Read more about using Siri with Maps.

Hey Siri, give me directions from New York to Dallas.

Hey Siri, what’s the quickest route home?

Check the weather

Check the weather forecast in your location or anywhere else worldwide. Read more about using Siri to forecast the weather.

Hey Siri, how warm is it going to be today?

Hey Siri, what’s the weather like in Japan?

Hey Siri, will I need an umbrella tomorrow morning?

Set reminders

Quickly add items to your reminders lists without the need to pick up your phone.

Hey Siri, remind me to buy milk.

Hey Siri, remind me to call Dad at 10 am.

Hey Siri, remind me to buy bread when I arrive at the supermarket.

Send messages

Dictate and send text messages and emails to anyone on your contact list or by using a phone number or email address. You can set up relationships to enable the use of informal terms such as Dad, Sister, and Boss. Learn more about sending messages with Siri.

Hey Siri, send a text message to Dad.

Hey Siri, message Jason I’m running ten minutes late.

Open apps

It’s possible to open both default iOS and third-party apps simply by saying their name.

Hey Siri, open the Health App.

Hey Siri, open Carrot Weather.

Siri translation

You can use Siri to translate words, phrases, and even text from images into several other languages, including relatively complex sentences. Translations can be saved for later and even used offline. Read more about Siri Translate.

Hey Siri, how do I say hello in German?

Control Apple Music

Request a specific track to be played directly from your library or streamed from Apple Music. There are many ways to interact with Apple Music, so we’ve compiled a list of some of the most useful Apple Music commands.

Hey Siri, play me a song from The Greatest Showman.

Ask Siri general knowledge questions

Access an astounding wealth of knowledge provided by Wolfram Alpha.

Hey Siri, who is the President of France?

Hey Siri, what is 123 divided by 6?

Use Siri to access knowledge and perform calculations

Want to discover more about using Siri, Apple’s popular virtual assistant? We’ve written a helpful collection of tutorials full of techniques for using apps, dictation, using Siri Shortcuts, and a comprehensive beginner’s guide to activating and using Siri.