Siri problems: 5 tips to make the speech assistant work better

Siri problemsIf Siri sometimes does not listen well or even not at all to what you say, you can try these tips to correct these Siri problems. In the meantime, you ensure that the assistant listens to your voice better from now on.

Siri problems: this is how you solve them yourself

Siri, the digital assistant of your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch can be a useful tool. Without touching your iDevice you can call it up by saying “Hey Siri,” but this doesn’t always work. Even if Siri does listen, it sometimes happens that your questions are misunderstood and you get a wrong outcome. With these tips, you solve these Siri problems.

1. Check whether Siri is switched on

It sounds very logical, but before you start with the steps below, it is smart to check whether Siri works. For example, you need an active internet connection and Siri must also be switched on in the settings. You do this via ‘Settings> Siri’. Make sure the green switch behind Siri is set to green and also check immediately whether the other settings on this page match the screenshot below.

how to fix siri problem

2. Turn on the Siri app settings

Since iOS 10, Siri can also be used to control third-party apps. For this, you need to give the assistant permission for each app separately. You can do this via the Siri menu via Settings> Siri> App support. Here you can indicate for each app which permission to use Siri. Some examples are WhatsApp, Facebook, and Telegram.

3. Use ‘you might say’ to correct questions

If you ask Siri a question, it may happen that she misunderstands you. This naturally also provides a different answer, which is often not what you are looking for. Apple has built in a handy tool with the “you might say” feature. This way you avoid having to speak the entire question again.

how to fix siri problem

As soon as a blue line appears under a word, Siri doubts whether she has understood you correctly. By tapping this, your iPhone suggests a sentence that probably fits your question better. Select this and Siri will answer this modified question, without you having to talk out loud. This function also makes it possible to type in questions to Siri instead of saying them. You can read how this works in the tips article below.

4. Hey, Siri doesn’t work? Reset the function

If you notice that Siri rarely responds when you call Hé Siri, we recommend that you reset the function. This way, your iPhone listens carefully to the characteristics of your voice, so that Siri knows better which sound to pick up. In the tips article below you can read more solutions for improving Hé Siri problems.

5. Check if you have any microphone problems

If you have checked all the software causes, it may be that Siri does not or hardly hear you because your microphone is no longer working properly. This can have various causes and does not always mean that you have to hand in your device directly to Apple Support. There are iPhone cases that cover the microphone, which makes it more difficult for Siri to hear you at a distance.

A microphone that contains a lot of dirt has the same effect. Grab a cotton swab or a soft toothbrush to gently clean your microphone. If you have an iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus or newer, this is waterproof and you can also rinse the device with water. Read more? Also, check out our overview with funny Siri answers.

Leave a Comment