While Amazon has Alexa, Google has Google Assistant, and Microsoft has Cortana, Apple has its very own Siri. A virtual assistant that can do wonders across all Apple devices, Siri has rapidly become very popular amongst Apple users.

It can answer your questions and perform a wide variety of functions for you. Activating and setting up Siri is a simple task. All you need is a few spare minutes and a quiet environment to get you started.

This beginner’s guide will tell you the steps to activate Siri, how to use it, what you can use it for, and what steps you need to take in case it stops working. Let’s dive in.

How to Set Up Siri on Your iPhone

Before you can begin to use Siri for anything at all, you need to make sure that it’s enabled. Here’s how to do so:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Scroll down and tap on Siri & Search.
  3. Toggle on Listen for “Hey Siri” or Press Side Button for Siri.

And that’s about it. All you need to do is turn on a toggle to enable Siri.

How to Enable “Hey Siri”

The next step is to let Siri recognize your voice. As soon as you turn the “Hey Siri” toggle on, you will see a popup to help train Siri to recognize your voice. Siri will work a lot more efficiently once this is done.

Your iPhone will have you give Siri commands in the training guide, so the program can memorize it accurately. Train Siri to your voice by following these steps:

  1. Enable the Listen for “Hey Siri” option.
  2. Tap Continue in the popup.
  3. The screen now asks you to say a set of commands it shows you on the screen into your iPhone. Make sure you are clear while doing so. If Siri recognizes it, a large tick will appear on your screen. If Siri fails to decipher your words, you will be asked to repeat yourself until it does so.
  4. When you’ve gone over all the commands, press Done to get started. Your iPhone will now respond every time you say “Hey Siri” near your phone.

How to Use Siri While Your iPhone Is Locked

You can also use Siri while your iPhone is still locked, to save you unlocking it each time. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Settings and tap Siri & Search.
  2. Turn on the toggle for Allow Siri When Locked.

How to Change Siri’s Language

While English is the default language, you can easily change the language Siri can be used with. As of iOS 15, there are over 40 options to choose from. You can change it to your native language to help you understand it better. Alternatively, it can be used as a great language learning tool to help you grow fluent in a foreign language by conversing.

Here are the steps to change Siri’s language:

  1. Open Settings and go to Siri & Search.
  2. Tap on Language.
  3. Choose the language you want to change it to.
  4. Press Change Language.
  5. To use “Hey Siri” again, you will have to enable Siri and train it to your voice again. Turn on the toggle and give Siri commands in new the language, as described above, to begin using Siri with your new language.

Once you have trained Siri in a particular language, you won’t have to train it to your voice again, even if you change to another one. You can switch between languages with just a tap as long as you have trained Siri to your voice already.

How to Choose a Voice for Siri

For every language present, there are accents and varieties to choose from. If we take English as an example, there are six varieties available (United States, Australian, British, Indian, Irish, and South African), along with multiple different voices. You can download and use any combination you like. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. Open Settings and go to Siri & Search.
  2. Press Siri Voice.
  3. Choose an option under Variety and Voice to pick your combination.

Basic Commands Siri Can Perform

You’ve set up Siri, you’ve chosen your preferred language and downloaded it, so now it is time for you to use Siri. But what exactly can you ask Siri to do for you? Let’s take a look at a basic roundup of commands that Siri can perform for you.

Related: Best Siri Commands to Use on Your iPhone

To use Siri, say "Hey Siri" into your iPhone loud and clear or press and hold the Side button or Home button, and then dictate your command. To name a few options, you can ask Siri to:

  • Perform a Google search
  • Call a contact
  • Send a detailed text message
  • Set up reminders and alarms
  • Change particular settings.

From this roundup, you can tell that Siri is precisely like your very own personal assistant (except virtual). How cool is that? iOS 15 got great functionality upgrades to Siri to make it function a lot faster and more efficiently. It helps you use your iPhone without your hands when driving and working.

What to Do if Siri Isn’t Working

Siri is only compatible with iPhone models that were released in 2015 and later. So if you have anything older than an iPhone 6S, you cannot use this feature. It is very rare for this feature to have a widespread bug since it is so commonly used, so if it isn’t working for you, it might be because of a quirk in your settings.

Most of Siri’s commands require an internet connection, but Siri can give some commands offline too. However, it is best to check if you have a strong Wi-Fi or mobile data connection first.

Read More: Ways to Fix "Hey Siri" Not Working on Your iPhone

Make sure iOS is updated to the latest version, the toggle for Siri is on, your microphones are clean, and the language you are giving commands in matches the one that is chosen in the Settings. If it still doesn’t work, it’s best to contact Apple Support for more help.

Use Your Device Hands Free With Siri

Apple’s digital assistant uses voice recognition to perform a wide variety of tasks without even having to use your hands. You can enable this feature in the Settings, train Siri to your voice, change its language from over 40 different options, and customize the voice and accent too.

Whether you want help answering math questions, finding directions, or making a FaceTime call, Siri can do it all. All you need to do is say “Hey Siri” into your microphone, give your command, and let it do the rest.