According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is reportedly working on a significant change to Siri that would eliminate the need for the “Hey Siri” trigger phrase. Instead, users would only need to say “Siri” followed by a command. This change aims to bring Siri closer to Amazon’s voice assistant, Alexa, which can be activated simply by starting a command with “Alexa.”
Apple’s Siri Set to Drop ‘Hey Siri’ Trigger Phrase
The transition from a two-word trigger phrase to a single word poses technical challenges, as Siri would need to accurately interpret the singular phrase “Siri” across various accents and dialects. The current “Hey Siri” phrase increases the chances of the system correctly recognizing the trigger.
In addition to this trigger phrase change, Apple is also said to be working on deeper integrations of Siri with third-party apps and services. This integration would provide better assistance to users by leveraging additional contextual information.
Although the exact timeline is not confirmed, these changes to Siri are expected to roll out sometime in 2023 or 2024. It’s possible that Apple could announce this update alongside iOS 17 at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this summer. However, the event’s primary focus is anticipated to be on Apple’s mixed-reality headset, so the Siri trigger phrase change might not be the centerpiece of the event.
Rumors suggest that iOS 17 will bring improvements such as granular control over flashlight brightness, customizable Lock Screen options, a revamped Apple Music with more graphics, and the ability to customize and organize the App Library. A redesigned Control Center and the possibility of app sideloading are also speculated.
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