Key Highlights
- Instead of ‘Hey Siri’, Apple may shift the trigger phrase of its smart assistant Siri
- Currently, the “Hey Siri” trigger phrase activates the voice assistant on Apple devices
- A new single wake word brings Siri closer to what Amazon’s Alexa does
Apple released new products and updates this fall, and the tech giant now appears to be working on the voice assistant it created. The tech company reportedly plans to replace “Hey Siri” with just “Siri” in the near future. This implies that iOS users only need to call Siri to start the voice assistant.
The Verge reports that Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman shared the aforementioned rumor and that as a result of this change, users would only need to say “Siri” followed by a command to activate the digital assistant. The tech giant has reportedly been working on the feature for some time; its expected release is either next year or possibly in 2024.
This may seem like a minor change to some, but Apple experts say that because Siri is able to understand many different languages and dialects, it presents a “technical challenge that demands a significant amount of AI training and underlying engineering development” in order to function effectively.
Right now, the HomePods’ two-trigger “Hey, Siri” command sometimes accidentally activates Apple’s voice assistant. If Apple is successfully able to drop the “Hey” trigger phrase, Siri would become more similar to Amazon’s Alexa which can already be activated by the word “Alexa.”
Also Read | iOS 16 Tips And Tricks: How To Make Siri Announce Notifications On iPhone
In the past, Microsoft already removed the word “Hey” from its voice command that activates Cortana. Before that change, saying “Hey, Cortana” on smart speakers would call Cortana to your attention. The two-word phrases, either “Hey, Google” or “Ok, Google” activate Google Assistant.
There are further changes than the one to Siri’s wake words that are in the works. Gurman thinks that Apple might enhance Siri’s comprehension and processing of user queries while also integrating it more deeply with third-party apps and services. Apple included a new voice recorded by a member of the LGBTQ+ community earlier this year.
