Apple wants to make asking Siri a question a little easier by removing the need to say “Hey Siri” – it’s reportedly planning to shorten the wake phrase to just “Siri”.
The smart assistant, which can be summoned on Apple devices like the iPhone 14, iPad Pro 12.9 (2022), and HomePod mini speaker, can be activated in a few ways, but one of the simplest is to use the wake phrase. Uttering “Hey Siri” before your question or command alerts the smart assistant to list for your instruction or question.
However, repeating “Hey Siri” over and over if you need help with several tasks in quick succession is more than a little tedious, so we’re pleased to hear that Apple is reportedly planning to shorten the phrase – and this may be the first step towards removing it entirely.
According to Blomberg’s Mark Gurman (opens in new tab), Apple is planning to change “Hey Siri” to just “Siri,” though don’t expect anything to happen overnight. Shortening the wake phrase to just one word presents several challenges; if device software isn’t calibrated correctly it could become easier to activate Siri accidentally, or much harder to get its help using your voice alone.
If the change does go through then it would bring Siri in line with Amazon’s best smart speakers: its Amazon Echo devices. Users only need to say “Alexa” before asking questions or issuing instructions to get their Echo’s help.
Google, on the other hand, still requires you to say “Hey/OK Google” to instruct its Google Pixel 7, Google Nest Mini, and other smart devices for most phrases, although if you enable the Quick Phrases feature on, there are some phrases you can say that don’t require a wake word at all – such as “Stop” when an alarm is going off.
Google reportedly is planning to expand this feature on its Google Nest Hub Max, with custom Quick Phrases apparently in the works, which could eliminate the need to say “Hey Google” ever again. It’s unclear whether Apple will go this far, but if it wants its smart assistant to feel as clever as those made by Amazon and Google it won’t want to lag too far behind with its innovations.
That being said, even removing “Hey” from “Hey Siri” may take a bit of time. According to Gurman, the feature is in its early testing stages, and likely won’t be ready for a year or so. We imagine it might be highlighted at WWDC 2023 or 2024 as an upgrade that will arrive with iOS 17 or iOS 18.
Looking to get more from you Apple device right now? Here are our picks for the best iPhone apps you can download today to get more out of your handset.
