How to use Siri on your Mac
Siri is a computerized assistant that can open apps, send emails, etc..
Activate Siri
Note: You must be connected to the internet to use Siri.
To activate Siri on your Mac, do any of the following:
Press and hold the Microphone key if available in the row of function keys; otherwise, use the keyboard shortcut as specified in System Settings / Siri & Spotlight settings.
Click Siri in the menu bar. If it’s not shown, you can add it using Control Center settings.
Tap Siri in the Touch Bar if your Mac has one.
Say “Hey Siri”. If enabled in Siri & Spotlight settings. This option is only available when supported by your Mac, display, or headphones.
After you turn on Siri, you can use it to do almost anything. Just say something like "What time is it in Paris?" or "Turn on Do Not Disturb."
On your Mac, activate Siri to answer a question or complete a task.
Examples of things you can say to Siri:
- "Open Notes", to open the Notes app.
- "Show me my reminders", to show your reminders.
- "Create a note" (and then dictate what you want to write) to write a note.
- "Set up a meeting at 9" to set up a meeting on your calendar.
- "Set a timer for 12 minutes" starts a countdown timer from the Clock app.
- "Play a playlist of happy songs" plays recommends songs or plays playlists in Apple Music based on music you've listened to or loved.
- "Play the top song from March 1991" plays the top song from March 1991. You can also get information about songs, albums, artists, or album notes for items in your music library.
- "Where's the nearest grocery store?"" or "What time is it in Paris?"" Provides information based on your location (when Location Services is turned on in Privacy & Security settings), such as the nearest grocery store, or shows a map with more details.
- "Increase my screen brightness" changes the brightness settings.
- "Find my AirPods" or "Ping my iPhone" opens the Find My app and shows the location of your device.
- "Turn off the lights" controls lights and other accessories in your home.
- "Turn on Voice Control" turns on Voice Control (or another accessibility feature).
- Questions such as "What causes seasons? can provides answers to general questions.
- "Hey Siri, block off an hour" creates a one-hour event.
- Tip: To get more ideas on how to use Siri, first activate Siri, then say "What can you do?"
Type to SIRI
If you'd rather type your requests to Siri instead of speaking them, you can turn on Type to Siri. See Change Siri settings for accessibility.
If the Siri window doesn't close automatically, you can close it manually—move the pointer over it, then click the Clear button or swipe right on the Siri window using two fingers on the trackpad (use one finger on a Magic Mouse).
Use Siri results
You can open Siri results directly from the Siri window or use them in emails or documents.
On your Mac, do any of the following:
Open a result: Double-click a webpage to open it in Safari, or double-click a file or document to open it in the relevant app on your Mac. You can also force click a result to preview it in a Quick Look window.
Use or save a result: Drag and drop to add locations or text into an email or document or to the desktop.
Change Siri settings for accessibility on Mac
On your Mac, use Siri settings for accessibility to type your requests to Siri instead of speaking them. This feature can be useful if speech is difficult or you don’t want others to hear your Siri requests.
To change these settings, choose Apple menu / System Settings, click Accessibility in the sidebar, then click Siri on the right. (You may need to scroll down.)
If a headset with a microphone is connected to your Mac, Siri speaks your typed command.
Siri Settings
Additional options, such as setting a keyboard shortcut to activate Siri, are available in Siri & Spotlight settings.
To turn off spoken responses from Siri, show what Siri says on screen, and show what you say to Siri on screen, choose Apple menu / System Settings, click Siri & Spotlight in the sidebar, then click Siri Responses on the right. (You may need to scroll down.)
Add Siri Shortcuts on Mac
A shortcut provides a quick way to get things done using your apps, with just a click or by using Siri. For example, to create an hour-long calendar event, say “Hey Siri, block off an hour.” Then say what time it should start.
To add a suggested shortcut:
Some apps offer shortcuts for things you do frequently, so you can use Siri to do them for you. For example, an app for a coffee shop might let you easily place your regular order with a shortcut.
On your Mac, click Add to Siri when you see a suggestion for a shortcut, then follow the onscreen instructions to record a phrase that performs the shortcut.
Run a shortcut
You can use Siri to run any shortcut in your collection.
On your Mac, activate Siri, then speak the phrase for the shortcut.
You can also use the Shortcuts app to create a new shortcut that uses Siri, or to manage, re-record, and delete existing Siri shortcuts.