Nonintuitive stuff about Siri

[Schtibbie]

Total Siri newb here, coming from iPhone 4 to new iPhone 5 (and hence, iOS6 of course)... In case any of you have gotten so used to the quirks of Siri that you can't imagine it being HARD to use for anyone: here's my experience.

First, I have "raise to speak" turned OFF because i've heard it uses a lot of battery. Still true? I think I understand the consequences of having it off.. Oh, and I have SIRI *off* in my lock screen, so jerks can't post to my facebook or sends texts if they find my phone. Why can't SIRI just ask me to SPEAK my passcode to it so I don't have to do it manually on the screen? I don't understand this. How hard could it be?

So, I'm leaving work today and decide to use SIRI to send a text while I'm at a red light. I light up the screen, slide, and enter my passcode. With my fingers. I hold down the home button for a couple seconds and it goes DING, so that's good. Here's where it goes wrong I think: I hold it up to my ear like I'm going to ask it to call my wife, but instead I ask it to send a text. Oh, before that it goes DING DING when it's up to my ear. THEN I ask it to send a text. But I get nothing.

The traffic light turns green and I'm driving and still nothing. I look at the screen, which I shouldn't have to do, and it's asking me what it can do for me. On the SCREEN. I press the microphone, which I also shouldn't have to manually do, and then I ask it again. It lets me tell it the text to send and then asks if I want to send it, but it doesn't read it back to me even though I have voice feedback set to "Always". I'm confused. Why am I looking at the screen so much?

Oh, and another thing I tried: asking it about nearby Indian restaurants. It came up with several, but it listed them on the screen. I was kinda hoping it would read them to me. Because I'm DRIVING.

Am I using this wrong?

 

[NT1440]

Why can't SIRI just ask me to SPEAK my passcode to it so I don't have to do it manually on the screen? I don't understand this. How hard could it be?

Passwords aren't very secure when everyone in the room hears you speak it to your phone....

 

[Schtibbie]

Passwords aren't very secure when everyone in the room hears you speak it to your phone....

I was alone in my car. If I was elsewhere and didn't want to say it, I could instead input it on the screen. But I was driving. So why must I handle the screen? At ALL?

 

[movieator]

I just can't take the passcode gripe seriously.

 

[dotme]

...The traffic light turns green and I'm driving and still nothing. I look at the screen, which I shouldn't have to do, and it's asking me what it can do for me. On the SCREEN. I press the microphone, which I also shouldn't have to manually do, and then I ask it again. It lets me tell it the text to send and then asks if I want to send it, but it doesn't read it back to me even though I have voice feedback set to "Always". I'm confused. Why am I looking at the screen so much?

Am I using this wrong?

1) You can't disable Siri on lock screen, then complain its inaccessible. It's useful, but not psychic.

2) Using Siri hands-free when driving is actually pretty amazing, but for best results use Bluetooth or ear pods. Siri then reacts differently because you can't see the screen. Text messages are read back to you before asking to send. You can accomplish the same thing, though, by saying "read it back" when asked "Shall I send it?"

Try it on the couch at home.

 

[Schtibbie]

1) You can't disable Siri on lock screen, then complain its inaccessible. It's useful, but not psychic.

2) Using Siri hands-free when driving is actually pretty amazing, but for best results use Bluetooth or ear pods....

The spoken passcode thing is just a wish. I know it doesn't allow that. That's why I unlocked the phone first, then activated siri. I held it to my ear AFTER it was activated so that it would speak stuff to me instead of showing things on the screen. And it dinged as if it wanted me to tell it what to do. The ding sound came from the ear speaker. And then nothing. I figured if I'm holding it to my ear, I'm obviously not looking at the screen, right?

I remember that when I used to do voice dialing on the iPhone 4, this kind of thing would work.

As for ear pods or Bluetooth sets, that's neat that it can use those. But i thought siri could work on audio-only mode if it's obvious you can't see the screen.

 

[dotme]

The spoken passcode thing is just a wish. I know it doesn't allow that. That's why I unlocked the phone first, then activated siri. I held it to my ear AFTER it was activated so that it would speak stuff to me instead of showing things on the screen. And it dinged as if it wanted me to tell it what to do. The ding sound came from the ear speaker. And then nothing. I figured if I'm holding it to my ear, I'm obviously not looking at the screen, right?

I remember that when I used to do voice dialing on the iPhone 4, this kind of thing would work.

As for ear pods or Bluetooth sets, that's neat that it can use those. But i thought siri could work on audio-only mode if it's obvious you can't see the screen.

Yeah I think Apple assumes if you're holding it, you can see the screen. I remember using Siri once in a borrowed car with no Bluetooth headset and it definitely wasn't as easy. Especially for texts. Not having used the restaurant feature while driving I can't speak to that. I have never felt raise to speak was a battery killer though.

 

[mrgraff]

I figured if I'm holding it to my ear, I'm obviously not looking at the screen, right?

You've got a good point there - raise-to-speak should behave like hands-free (or maybe some kind of hybrid mode, considering that you could lower the phone since you are holding it...) you should consider forwarding that feedback to Apple.

 

[cyks]

Here's where it goes wrong I think: I hold it up to my ear like I'm going to ask it to call my wife, but instead I ask it to send a text.

Not sure where you are, but, in most parts of the US, holding it against your ear while driving can get your a nasty ticket... and, if Siri were to be able to tell if you're driving, that would be a way of telling it that you're not.

Otherwise, Siri has no way of knowing if you're driving, sitting as the passenger, or taking a stroll down the street.


As others have said, bluetooth or earbuds or it will think that you can look at the screen.

 

[RicoRich196]

When using Siri you don't have to hold the phone up to your ear, you can merely speak out loud as if you were speaking to a person, the microphones are very efficient at picking up your voice over the background noise.

Next, when asking Siri to do things, ask completely. You don't have to wait, for example you can say "Send a text to Mike Hey I'll be there in ten minutes" and she'll transcribe the message and ask you if you would like to send it.

 

[NT1440]

I was alone in my car. If I was elsewhere and didn't want to say it, I could instead input it on the screen. But I was driving. So why must I handle the screen? At ALL?

Maybe you shouldn't be using your damn phone while driving. My grandma was just in a head on because the other driver was on the phone....