iOS 15 to Limit Siri Functionality With Third-Party Apps

[Biro]

None of this bothers me. The only time Siri's voice is ever heard on any of my devices is when I'm using navigation in the Maps app. Otherwise, I have it turned off and have never regretted it. As for those who value convenience above all else, enjoy Alexa and Google. Just don't say you weren't warned.

 

[Shirasaki]

I don't understand why Apple wouldn't just explain the reasons. It might be privacy issues, or it could be as simple as "we need to iron out some bugs," but man, say something. Being silent will only portray Apple as anti-competitive. I don't get it. I thought they would've learned a thing or two about being transparent with antennagate and throttlegate. But no, they actually became more silent, as if they're sulking like a child.

They are wealthy enough that making the same mistake again and again wont really cost them much. Like on basketball field, sometimes you need to strategically make mistakes for a better gain in the long run. I think that’s what Apple exec had in mind.

 

[ftaok]

I'm not exactly sure what this all mean, so perhaps someone here can provide some expertise.

I really only use Siri to send simple text messages and to get directions using Waze. I'm guessing my first Siri request will be OK, but will I still be able to say "Hey Siri, get directions to Chick-Fil-A using Waze"?

 

[4491275]

Sure, I want Siri to be smarter and more useful…. But I’d much rather keep it how it is than have to ditch it completely if it started spying on me as bad as Google or Alexa. No ***** thanks.

 

[DekuBleep]

Why is apple doing this?

 

[JonGarrett]

This is strange. Why would Apple deliberately want to limit Siri's functionality in this way? Unless they've decided that SiriKit is too limiting and there's a better, deeper integration planned in future updates to Siri. But still, why not just deprecate SiriKit interactions rather than blocking them completely?

On the other hand, perhaps this is just a clean up of intents that Apple's metrics showed weren't being widely used anyway. Who's ever used Siri to book an Uber?

Siri is going to be replaced by Google assistant

 

[rpmurray]

Me: "Hey Siri, is there anything you CAN do?"
Siri: "I'm sorry, I didn't understand the question. Please try again."

 

[rorschach]

Siri is going to be replaced by Google assistant

Hopefully not. Google Assistant is garbage for me.

Example: just asked for “Tickets for Old tonight around 8pm” and it gave me a list of showtimes. When I tapped on one it just did a Google search for the phrase “Tickets for Old tonight around 8pm”

I asked Siri the same thing and got a list of showtimes with a Buy button that opened Fandango directly to the checkout page.

 

[Wildkraut]

Without wanting to start flamewar, but Google assistant works much much better, it does even support multi-language on the fly, and also replies in multi-language, I can ask stuff in German, English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian it works most of the times like a charm.

 

[Deguello]

Speak more clearly? I use Siri for a lot of home kit tasks, works better for me than google

“You’re saying it wrong.”

it’s never Apple’s fault.

 

[JonGarrett]

Since Alexa and Google can essentially spy on you. Which is how it becomes a better assistant. By learning from that person. And Apple doesn’t allow that with Siri. I never thought Siri would ever amount to anything significant anyhow. Outside of basic commands.

That's a pretty dumb statement. They don't spy on you. IF you want to use them you give them permissions to do what they need to do.

Like someone already said, Apple can't make Siri work so they claim privacy as the reason for it's limitations.

 

[DaveMcM76]

They just changed it to opt in recently / 1-2 years ago because they got caught.

By "got caught" do you mean people noticed that this had been in the small print for years and suddenly it was the worlds biggest issue? Glad they made it opt in, but not making a massive public announcement about something isn't the same as trying to hide it.

Like others, I have to assume that the metrics show the deprecated intents just aren't getting used enough to be worth continuing supporting, especially now Shortcuts are more widely available and offer users the chance to create very specific chains of functionality that can be assigned to a personalised siri phrase. If they were rolling back from 3rd party Siri integration completely then they'd I'd have expected them to have deprecated the whole of SiriKit as a public API, not just specific intents within it.

 

[Deguello]

Siri is good for checking the weather and setting alarms on my watch. I can’t think of anything else I can depend on, so that’s all I use at the moment.

 

[citysnaps]

Siri is good for two thing, setting the clock or checking the weather. Other than that it’s completely useless. For me anyway, I asked her to play The Rolling Stones and she played Romancing the Stone.

Everyday I use Siri, in a variety of manners, to play music. No problems here.

 

[PandaMage]

I’m wondering if this is in anticipation of the day when they are forced to open iOS/iPadOS to third party software as a privacy preserving measure.

 

[Spock]

Anyone else remember when Apple announced they were “opening up Siri”

"No, and neither do you" -Apple

 

[pratikindia]

Siri is disabled in all my devices. It does not understand most commands and does not work with most apps. Bad decision by Apple.

 

[citysnaps]

I don't understand why Apple wouldn't just explain the reasons. It might be privacy issues, or it could be as simple as "we need to iron out some bugs," but man, say something. Being silent will only portray Apple as anti-competitive. I don't get it. I thought they would've learned a thing or two about being transparent with antennagate and throttlegate. But no, they actually became more silent, as if they're sulking like a child.

You can be sure there are sound (pun?) reasons.

Have to admit I do kind of enjoy reading all of the sky is falling and Apple is blowing it reactions.

"But no, they actually became more silent, as if they're sulking like a child."

Oooooooooh. Sulking like a child! That's a new one! Bad Apple. Tim Cook needs to be fired!

 

[Chrjy]

I can't help but chuckle when someone refers to their own experience and people downvote them! 😂

 

[andrewxgx]

EU to private companies: "Build your products the way we want you to, or we will fine you."

This excessive regulation is why you don't see a lot of innovations or companies like Apple, Tesla, Google or FB started in Europe.

does Spotify ring a bell? oh yeah, dwarfed by US-based, uhm, "innovators"

 

[chucker23n1]

It’s like Apple bought Siri (which they did), the whole remaining team left and now (for years) Apple did not really have the people to actually do anything besides giving it a little redesign. That’s my only explanation for years of neglect and suckage (is that a English word?)

Yes.

The two explanations I can think of:

• they're severely cutting down due to privacy abuses. But in that case, they'd probably say so.
• they're severely cutting down because they're doing significant rewrites, and those intents either don't fit the new design at all, or haven't been reimplemented yet.

 

[Neilo]

A frankly astounding decision from Apple. Siri’s functionality is easily in third place behind Alexa and Google Assistant, and it’s not a close rate at all. That they would choose to further handicap their voice assistant is staggering!

 

[yabeweb]

It's also nice to know that interactions aren't subject to the same level of privacy invasion as they would be if I were using Alexa or Google.

I am sure that the guy Google pays to hear me 24 / 7 shot himself from boredom

Hey google turn x light on

Hey google turn x light off

Hey google turn y light on

Hey google turn y light off

Hey google remind me of x in an hour

Hey google will it rain tomorrow?

Hey google turn the heat on

Hey google turn turn the heat off
....

 

[Muzzakus]

Let me guess, too many started using Spotify and YouTube music.

Stunning and Brave Apple, stunning and Brave.

 

[podycust]

strange, tho to be honest only use Siri on my HomePod to control smart home devices and stop and play music lol so doubt I'll personally notice lol