Reddit customers have found a brand new use for iOS 18’s Vocal Shortcuts, MacRumors experiences. Whereas primarily supposed as an accessibility characteristic, Vocal Shortcuts will also be used to provide Siri a brand new identify.
That is proper: Now you can name Siri something from Jarvis to HAL 9000 to — gasp — Alexa.
This is how:
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First, you will need to arrange Vocal Shortcuts in your iPhone. Go to the Settings app, then Accessibility, then scroll till you discover Vocal Shortcuts. When you’re there, choose “Set Up Vocal Shortcuts” and decide Siri. Then, enter the brand new identify you are planning on giving Siri.
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You may even have to show your iPhone to acknowledge the brand new identify by saying it 3 times. As soon as that is all completed, your iPhone will be capable to decide up that phrase and use it as a set off phrase for Siri.
An instance of easy methods to use iOS 18’s Vocal Shortcuts.
Credit score: Mashable composite: Apple
As MacRumors notes, there are some catches to the Siri re-naming course of. First, this course of will not sync to different units, which means units like HomePods will nonetheless have to be Siri in the intervening time. Second, you will need to pause each time you name on Siri utilizing the brand new identify. As an alternative of claiming, “Hey HAL 9000, what is the climate like?” like you are able to do for Siri, you will need to take a beat after talking the set off phrase to provide Vocal Shortcuts time to activate Siri. So whereas the cool factors of giving Siri a special identify are excessive, the decrease comfort of it might be sufficient to show customers off.
Don’t be concerned although: You’ll be able to all the time depend on a dependable “Hey Siri” to wake Siri up, even if you happen to’ve given it a brand new identify.