iOS 18.2 Lets You Use Natural Language Search in Apple Music and Apple TV

[MacRumors]

With the iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, macOS Sequoia 15.2, tvOS 18.2, and HomePod 18.2 software updates, Apple has added a new natural language search feature for Apple Music and Apple TV.

In the Apple TV app, you can use casual language search terms to find exactly what you're looking for, typing in genres, actors, and moods. Searches like "movies about natural disasters," "movies with cats," "movies with Zendaya," and "exhilarating movies" all bring up relevant results.

The Apple Music app supports similar searches, and you can look for genres, moods, activity, decades, and more. Examples include "songs about cats," "songs with a vibe," "relaxing songs," "artists similar to Taylor Swift," "sad 80s songs," and "songs about food."

On the HomePod, Siri supports Apple Music natural language search so you can ask the personal assistant to play content based on moods and activities, just like you can on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, HomePod software 18.2, tvOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 are expected to be released to the public next week.

Article Link: iOS 18.2 Lets You Use Natural Language Search in Apple Music and Apple TV

 

[yossi]

Is this an Apple Intelligence feature or available on all iphones with 18.2?

 

[techyOS]

if this… you know, actually works, could be a pretty nifty addition

 

[MrTemple]

I've been so looking forward to this. It will be a game changer to have devices that actually understand what you're asking and are able to pull the information together, eventually take the simple actions.

"Siri, can you make it so my phone doesn't charge me for internet when I go to another country?"

"Siri, show me where every plist is that's loading a startup item or daemon on this Mac."

"Siri, show me 90s courtroom dramas with a tomato-meter above 65%."

"Siri, create a new shortcut that will close all the windows and cool the upstairs to 22C."

 

[hagar]

Undoubtedly US English only. Because… Apple.

 

[dasmb]

The Apple Music app supports similar searches, and you can look for genres, moods, activity, decades, and more. Examples include "songs about cats," "songs with a vibe," "relaxing songs," "artists similar to Taylor Swift," "sad 80s songs," and "songs about food."

While this will make most tasks more reliable, it will make the task of finding Talking Heads' 1978 LP "More Songs About Buildings and Food" slightly more difficult.

 

[TheDauterive]

When 18.2 first released I tried using this with Siri by asking, "Play new wave songs from the 80s with female vocalists", and Siri exploded. I just tried it with Apple Music search and it did...ok.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Is this an Apple Intelligence feature or available on all iphones with 18.2?

All of them, as well as HomePods and Apple TV that don't have Apple AI at all.

 

[Razorpit]

Undoubtedly US English only. Because… Apple.

Actually sources told me Archi, Xhosa, and Pig Latin will be supported in this release. Because even though English is the native language of Apple, we all know there are many more out there. I'm surprised Jive didn't make the list, considering Tim Cook is fluent in it.

On another note, I'd be happy if Apple Music would play my old 80's punk albums correctly. Nothing like listening to an album I use to listen to while delivering newspapers on my skateboard, and some alternate version of the next song starts playing. "AI" at it's finest. 🙄

 

[Razorpit]

While this will make most tasks more reliable, it will make the task of finding Talking Heads' 1978 LP "More Songs About Buildings and Food" slightly more difficult.

Siri loves it when I ask her to play "All".

 

[DogHouseDub]

How about Health app? Log my medication, Siri!

IT FREAKIN' WORKS!!!

 

[dugbug]

We always fight with siri for stuff like playing traditional holiday-themed music like mardi gras or st. Patrick's day. This would be useful if it works.

 

[CarAnalogy]

I've been so looking forward to this. It will be a game changer to have devices that actually understand what you're asking and are able to pull the information together, eventually take the simple actions.

"Siri, can you make it so my phone doesn't charge me for internet when I go to another country?"

"Siri, show me where every plist is that's loading a startup item or daemon on this Mac."

"Siri, show me 90s courtroom dramas with a tomato-meter above 65%."

"Siri, create a new shortcut that will close all the windows and cool the upstairs to 22C."

I absolutely love your optimism. Apple has been pretending Siri could actually answer questions for a long time. Up until last WWDC they still did. Now they suddenly acknowledge that it needs extreme improvement.

They've blown all credibility with Siri. I'll believe it when I see it. The idea of Siri being able handle queries like that is literally unbelievable to me.

Maybe Apple has finally woken up. It's not about the technology, it's about the management structure and incentives to make it happen. They could have cared about Siri a long time ago, now they feel forced to because they missed a big hype train.

Perhaps they finally have their hearts into it this time. Still doesn't feel genuine, like they actually really understood what the problem was.

I just can't get the story out of my mind of Cook and Ive taking that little pretend trip in their concept Apple car, and having a person pretend to be Siri answering their questions. What a complete fantasy world.

And that was years ago. They were completely ignoring the real problems then. If money is the only thing that made them change their minds now, I'm not getting my hopes up.

 

[klasma]

I've been so looking forward to this. It will be a game changer to have devices that actually understand what you're asking and are able to pull the information together, eventually take the simple actions.

Yeah, brace yourself for disappointment.

 

[klasma]

Siri loves it when I ask her to play "All".

At least you can ask for that.

Horrible edge cases to consider when dealing with music

Personal blog of Julien (jvoisin) Voisin

dustri.org

 

[dannys1]

"songs that are a vibe"

That made me die a little bit inside...

 

[ronno]

It’s still dumb.
I just asked it for directions to the Monterey aquarium, it said which one and in the list was Monterey hair salon… Etc. etc. No aquariums.
On the second attempt it worked.
Tried some other simple queries, which failed…

 

[darngooddesign]

But is it smart enough to let me change a song’s star rating?

 

[trip1ex]

Doesn’t move my needle. already have too much content and too many suggestions and search capabilities which feel like enough.

 

[svish]

Will be useful if it works as intended. Will have to try it out after I update my devices.

 

[hagar]

I just want Siri to play my downloaded music in the car. Why can’t it do that?

 

[TwoBytes]

great but we just need better mics as siri doesn't understand.

 

[darngooddesign]

I just want Siri to play my downloaded music in the car. Why can’t it do that?

Be more specific because there are a couple of ways to do that. For example:

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

I've been so looking forward to this. It will be a game changer to have devices that actually understand what you're asking and are able to pull the information together, eventually take the simple actions.

"Siri, can you make it so my phone doesn't charge me for internet when I go to another country?"

"Siri, show me where every plist is that's loading a startup item or daemon on this Mac."

"Siri, show me 90s courtroom dramas with a tomato-meter above 65%."

"Siri, create a new shortcut that will close all the windows and cool the upstairs to 22C."

"Eh..I... I don't.. Ehm.. I found this on web for 'Stuff Siri can't be bothered to do for you, you lazy pos!'"

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

great but we just need better mics as siri doesn't understand.

Siri catches 90% of everything I say, across multiple languages. Where it fails, for me, is not having any or only very limited actions for what I'm asking it to do, or flat out failing to do anything because I didn't phrase it to match Siri's pre-programmed phrases or words.

While I won't argue that many iPhone models could use better mics, I don't think better mics will improve Siri much.

Additionally, ChatGPT on iPhone hears and is able to give an answer for absolutely everything without fail.

-If the mics were so low quality that it got in the way of AI assistants comprehending out words then ChatGPT wouldn't be as accurate as it is.

And if unable to hear it through the mic, most LLMs can very accurately guess most inaudible words and phrases just based on a few words, or the words and sentences spoken before and after them.