Siri, Apple’s smart Voice Assistant, has been a key player of iPhones, iPads, Macs, and is powering other Apple devices since mid-2011. It allows you to ask questions, set reminders, send messages, and tell jokes, all with the aim of making your life easier. But at times, you may want Siri to be more chatty or personalize how it responds. So, if you want Siri to speak up or change its voice, check out this tutorial on how to make Siri talk differently: Hey Siri, What Time Is It?.
What is Siri and Why is it Important?
Siri is the built-in Apple virtual assistant that interprets and responds to voice commands using natural language processing (NLP). For instance, Siri can set alarms, text someone, call someone, and control smart home devices. But to use Siri to its fullest, you’ll have to turn it on and set it to your liking for how it talks to you.
We’ll consider how to make Siri talk in this guide, whether you want to alter Siri’s voice, bring its responsiveness up a notch or two or keep it song and dance all the time, whenever you want to interact with it.
How to Enable Siri on Your Apple Device?
You also need to ensure Siri is enabled and set up to make Siri talk. To enable Siri on your device, do the following:
On iPhone or iPad
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down to Siri & Search, then tap that.
- Turn on Listen for “Hey Siri” to activate Siri with a voice command.
- Press Side Button for Siri: Toggle this on to enable Siri activation by pressing the side or home button, depending on your model.
On Apple Watch
- Open the Settings app.
- Select Siri, then enable Listen for ”Hey Siri”
- Or you can turn on Raise to Speak to summon Siri when you lift your wrist.
On Mac
- Open System Preferences.
- Now click on Siri and tick the Enable Ask Siri checkbox.
You can assign a keyboard shortcut to trigger Siri or use the “Hey Siri” feature.
On HomePod
Make sure your HomePod is plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi.
If you want Siri to speak, say “Hey Siri” and then make your request.
How to Make Siri Talk Louder?
If you’re listening to Siri and find it hard to hear, you can raise the volume of Siri’s responses. Here’s how to turn the volume up or down:
On iPhone, iPad, or Mac
- You can make Siri louder by raising the device’s main volume, or change the volume while Siri speaks.
- On iPhone or iPad, use the physical volume buttons to control the audio.
- Adjusting volume on Mac can be done in the Sound settings.
On HomePod
- To adjust volume, use the physical volume controls on the top of the HomePod.
- Or you can tell Siri to change the volume by saying, “Hey Siri, turn up the volume.”
Changing Siri’s Voice
If Siri’s voice doesn’t suit your tastes, Apple lets you change it and even its accent. Siri’s voice can have a few different accents, and gender as well. You can then customize Siri’s voice a few different ways:
On iPhone or iPad
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down, then tap Siri & Search.
- Tap Siri Voice.
- So choose your language (Ex:English, Spanish, French)
- Setting the Variety (American, Australian, British, etc.)
- Finally, tap Voice (either male or female) to change Siri’s voice.
On Mac
- Open System Preferences.
- Click on Siri.
- Select one you want from the Siri Voice drop-down menu.
On HomePod
- Change Siri’s voice on HomePod using the Home app on iPhone or iPad
- Select the voice and accent you want by going to Home app > HomePod settings > Siri Voice.
How to Get Siri to Respond More Quickly
If Siri is taking longer to respond than you’d like, there are some settings you can tweak to help speed it up.
Have A Good Wi-Fi Or Cellular Connection
To work properly though, Siri needs an internet connection. Make sure your device is signed into a good WiFi or celluar network.
Turn on “Hey Siri” and Customize Settings
Siri sometimes require some time to recognize your speech. Calibrate “Hey Siri” by toggling it off and back on under the Siri & Search settings. This can help Siri be faster and more accurate in its responses.
Clear Siri History
- If Siri is being slow when responding, you should consider clearing voice history if you have built up a lot of voice data over time.
- Navigate to Settings > Siri & Search, scroll down and tap Siri & Dictation History, and then tap Delete Siri & Dictation History.
How to Make Siri Tell Jokes or Say Fun Things?
Sometimes you need to just hear something funny from Siri. Some voice commands to Siri to make her talk and entertain you are:
- “Hey Siri, tell me a joke.”
- “Hey Siri, sing a song.”
- “Hey Siri, what’s zero divided by zero?
- “Hey Siri, tell me a riddle.”
- “What is the meaning of life, Siri?
The magic in these requests is that when you ask Siri this, he will reply in a funny way, odd, or entertaining.
How to Make Siri Speak in Different Languages?
For Siri to speak in another language, you need to change Siri language settings. Here’s how:
On iPhone or iPad
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down to the apps section and tap Siri & Search.
- Tap Language, then select the language you want to use for Siri.
On Mac
- Open System Preferences.
- Click on Siri.
From the Language drop-down menu, select a different language.
On HomePod
- Open the Home app.
- Navigate to HomePod settings > Siri Language and choose your preferred language.
Conclusion
Siri is a flexible Voice Assistant that you can customize to enhance your experience. Siri can be customized to each user’s liking; whether you need a different voice, changes to the way she speaks, or want her to tell jokes, the simple steps will get you talking to Siri the way you like it.