By Jason Snell
September 22, 2014 2:40 PM PT
Hey, Siri… no, the other Siri
Note: This story has not been updated for several years.
iOS 8 adds a feature that lets you trigger Siri just by saying “Hey Siri,” so long as your device is plugged in. Unfortunately, there’s no way to train Siri to respond to specific voices or customize the keywords it’s looking for. Let’s say my wife and I both have our iPhones plugged in and one of us says, “Farmers aren’t taking the shortage of hay seriously enough.” Both of our phones will be triggered.
Different devices can respond differently, too. Which can put you in a situation where Siri talks to itself. And doesn’t understand itself.
This is a fun feature, but until Apple lets Siri recognize my voice (or a special code word), I don’t think I’ll be turning it on. Too much chance of a robot apocalypse. Or at least a really weird text message.
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