Apple has announced that it will be changing the way its voice assistance system works in response to concerns of users who are worried that this technology is becoming an invasion of their privacy. Currently, the company’s products use the term Hey Siri to activate voice recognition, but Apple says this may change in the future. Here’s why Apple has decided to make this change and how it will affect you. Apple Changing ‘Hey Siri’ For Voice Assistance: Here’s Why
‘Hey Siri’ is being changed to ‘Hey iPhone’/’Hey iPad’/etc.
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Starting with iOS 12, Apple is changing the phrase Hey Siri to Hey iPhone or Hey iPad. The change comes in anticipation of Apple releasing its next-generation voice assistant. It will be called Siri.
In addition to the name change, it appears that Apple is planning on releasing a new device or devices to house its new voice assistant. A recent job listing for an Industrial Designer at Apple says, You will work closely with the Electronics Engineering team and lead product designers to develop a revolutionary new product that has never been seen before. If this turns out to be true, then it would make sense for Apple to release a new device that houses their newest innovation.
The new name is more inclusive
It might seem like a small change, but Apple is making an important one. Instead of saying hey siri to activate voice assistance, users will now be able to say hey and then the trigger word that they want. This change is meant to make it easier for people who are using their iPhones with hearing aids or who speak English as a second language. These people might have trouble pronouncing siri. Now, when they say hey, the app should recognize what they want and act accordingly.
The new name is more accurate
Apple announced today that they will be changing the name of their virtual assistant from Hey Siri to Siri. This change is significant because it reflects a growing trend among tech companies to move away from the idea of naming assistants after people. In contrast, Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home are named after their founders, while Microsoft’s Cortana was named after an artificial intelligence character in the Halo video game series. Apple claims that this change is meant to improve accuracy. When you say hey Siri, it could respond to anyone around you that said it. And if someone on your phone call says hey Siri, then it won’t work at all.
The new name makes it clear who you’re talking to
The name change is an acknowledgement of the fact that it’s not always obvious who you’re speaking to. Often, a voice assistant will respond to both hey google and hey siri. This can be frustrating for those who can’t differentiate between the two and are likely to end up speaking to whichever one answers first. It also creates a problem when you want access to a personal assistant but can’t remember which one you used last. However, this new change is only necessary if Apple wants people to know they’re speaking with Siri rather than Google or Alexa. Otherwise, they could have just changed the pitch or tone of their voice response without changing the name.
The new name is more user-friendly
In preparation for the release of their new iPhone, Apple has decided to change their voice assistant from Siri to Hey. Apple explains that this was an effort to make their voice assistant more user-friendly.
This is not the first time that Apple has switched up their products in order to make them more consumer-friendly. They did it with the iPod and they did it with the iPad. The company offers a wide variety of products that are designed to be accessible and easy for people to use on a day-to-day basis, so changing Siri does not seem too out of character for them.
The Problem with ‘Hey Siri’
The problem is that Hey Siri does not work well in noisy environments, and people have been calling Apple to complain about it. There are a couple of potential fixes for this issue. One would be to have the phone listen for a pre-selected phrase before activating voice control, such as Hey, Google. Another fix might be more complicated but could be worthwhile: shortening the amount of time it takes for the phone to activate when it hears its name.
The Solution: Change to a Different Phrase
The phrase hey Siri is often used by many people, which can lead to confusion in public settings. To avoid this issue and make voice assistance a more personal experience, Apple plans to change the phrase to something else.
It is unclear what the new phrase will be but there are some possibilities that include Hi, I’m your assistant, or Hi, I’ll do that.
While it remains to be seen how much of an impact this will have on interactions with iOS devices, it is safe to say that it will take some getting used to for users.
Other Possible Changes
– The name Hey Siri is a trademark of Apple, so it should come as no surprise that this has been changed.
– As well as changing the name of the voice assistant, Apple is also looking to change the way it looks and sounds. The new voice will be more expressive with less robotic tone.
– This change will not only apply to iPhones but also to iPads, Macs and HomePods.
– The company believes that saying Hey Siri over and over again can be monotonous and a nuisance for other people in the room.
What do You Think?
Starting in iOS 12, Apple is changing the phrase Hey Siri to something else. We’re not sure what, but there are a few guesses. It might be Talk to me, it might be Siri, it might be What can I help you with? These are all really good guesses and we’ll have to wait for iOS 12 to come out and see which one is correct.
There was no mention of the new voice prompt in the keynote address, so we don’t know when it will happen or what it will say. But if you have an iPhone 6s or newer, chances are your phone already has the new voice prompt on it.