The final clinic of 2025

 We thought for our final workshop of 2025 we would focus on two areas, everyday use of Siri and Festive Photo Fun.

This post covers Siri

🗣️ Activating Siri

There are three main ways to activate Siri on an iPhone without a Home button (like your Pro Max):

1. By Voice (Hands-Free)

This is the most common way.

  • Simply say the activation phrase: "Siri" or "Hey Siri."

  • Wait for the Siri icon/glow to appear (it was the pulsing orb before Apple Intelligence, but even without the full new features, a visual cue will appear).

  • Immediately say your request (e.g., "Siri, what's the weather?").

You can change the activation phrase in Settings > Siri & Search > Listen for.

2. By Side Button (The Physical Way)

  • Press and hold the Side Button (the one on the right side of the phone).

  • Wait for the Siri screen/icon to appear.

  • Speak your request.

  • For a longer request, continue to hold the button until you're finished speaking, then release it.

3. By Typing to Siri (Accessibility Feature)

If you'd rather type your requests, you can enable an accessibility feature:

  1. Go to Settings.

  2. Tap Accessibility.

  3. Scroll down and tap Siri.

  4. Toggle Type to Siri On.

  5. To use it, press the Side Button (or use the voice command) to activate Siri, and a keyboard and text field will appear for you to type your request.


📝 What Siri Can Do (Pre-Apple Intelligence)

Even without the deepest context and on-screen awareness of the newest features, standard Siri can still manage most of your essential tasks:

CategoryExample Commands
Communication"Call Mum," "Text John 'I'll be late'," "Read my last message."
Productivity"Set a timer for 15 minutes," "Remind me to buy milk at 5 PM," "Add 'Meeting Prep' to my Calendar for tomorrow morning."
Device Control"Turn on the torch," "Turn up the volume," "Open the Settings app," "Turn on Do Not Disturb."
Information"What is the weather like in London?" (using UK data as requested), "How many pounds are in a euro?" "Search the web for chicken recipes."
Entertainment"Play the new Taylor Swift song," "What song is this?" (Shazam), "Open Netflix."
Navigation"Give me directions home," "Find the nearest coffee shop."

💡 Pro Tip: What Can I Ask?

If you forget what Siri can do, just say "What can you do for me?" after activating it, and it will display examples of commands and categories.


Download 100 Siri Commands

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