Apple Intelligence will bring the latest version of Siri to iPhone in a process that will continue through 2025, as the phone’s digital assistant becomes smarter and more aware of what’s on screen. But one of the changes coming soon with the iOS 18.1 update is the ability to type questions or commands into Siri without saying them aloud.
This new feature is perfect if you’re in a place where it’s better to invoke Siri individually. During a meeting, you might want your assistant to create a reminder about a task that just happened. Maybe you want Siri to look up something you want to keep private when you’re in public. Or maybe you just want to keep the request between you and your digital assistant.
Whatever the reason, if you have an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence and can run iOS 18.1 (the software is currently available in public beta), you can take advantage of the Input to Siri feature. All you need is a way to call this feature and make sure it’s enabled.
1. Go to “Settings”
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First, if you didn’t turn on the Talk to Siri feature when you set up Apple Intelligence on your phone, you’ll need to make sure it’s enabled. Go to Settings app and Select Apple Intelligence and Siri From the main menu.
2. Turn on “Type to Siri”
(Image: ©Future)
Select the “Speak Siri to Type” menuon the next screen, make sure the toggle is turned on. Siri input is turned on.
3. Use input for Siri
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Whenever you need to type into Siri, Tap the bottom edge of your iPhone screen; a keyboard will pop up surrounded by a glowing interface indicating that Siri is ready to listen. (If this is the case, read on.) It may take some practice to tap in the correct place on the screen. I found that the closer I was to the edge, the better I could do it.
As you type your request, predictive text appears in the text field, with a shortcut similar to what you’re typing displayed above. This is intended to save you typing time when performing common commands like asking Siri to set an alarm.
That’s all you need to know about how to use the Type to Siri feature in iOS 18.1. You can download the iOS 18.1 public beta now and try it out for yourself.
If you’re looking for additional tips to get the most out of the new Apple Intelligence on your iPhone, here’s how to use the writing tools now available on your phone. We’ll also show you how to get a summary of your emails in the Mail app, and how to create a memory movie from the photos and videos in your photo library.
