Avoiding Siri slipups and apologies for butt dials

Using voice assistants across multiple devices can sometimes lead to unexpected and frustrating situations, as Mike from St. George, Utah, found out with his personal and work iPhones. His dilemma of accidentally calling a colleague named Terry instead of his wife Terrie highlighted a common challenge faced by many users. In this article, we will explore the predicament Mike faced and discuss some effective solutions to avoid such mishaps in the future.

Mike’s initial attempt to rename his wife’s contact to “Wifey” on his personal phone did not fully solve the problem. Siri still struggled to differentiate between similar-sounding names across devices. Since Apple does not allow users to customize Siri’s activation phrase, alternative solutions need to be considered.

One effective workaround is to use Siri Shortcuts. By creating a Siri Shortcut for calling his wife and assigning a unique phrase to it, such as “Call Wifey,” Mike can ensure that the command only triggers on the phone where the shortcut is set up. This feature is available on iOS 12 and later and can be easily set up through the Shortcuts app on the iPhone.

Another option is to enable Voice Control and create custom commands that won’t interfere with Siri. By setting up Voice Control and creating a command like “Call Wifey,” Mike can avoid any confusion between his personal and work iPhones. Voice Control is available on iOS 13 and later and can be configured through the Settings app on the iPhone.

For users who primarily use Siri on one phone, disabling it on the other device can also prevent accidental triggers. By turning off the “Hey Siri” feature and enabling the “Press Side Button for Siri” option, users can ensure that Siri only responds on the designated phone. This feature is available on iOS 11 and later and can be adjusted through the Settings app on the iPhone.

In addition to these solutions, renaming contacts differently can also help avoid confusion. Using a more unique name or a combination of names and identifiers for contacts can prevent Siri from dialing the wrong person.

While Siri’s confusion can be frustrating, there are ways to work around the issue and improve the user experience. By utilizing Siri Shortcuts, Voice Control, disabling Siri on one device, or renaming contacts differently, users can avoid unnecessary mishaps and enjoy a smoother interaction with voice assistants. As technology continues to evolve, we may see more sophisticated context recognition that can better distinguish between similar names on different devices. Until then, these workarounds should help users like Mike navigate the challenges of using voice assistants across multiple devices.