Apple plans to drop "Hey" from "Hey Siri" trigger phrase

Apple plans to drop "Hey" from "Hey Siri" trigger phrase

To launch the digital assistant Siri on Apple products like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, users normally have to say "Hey, Siri." If a new report is accurate, it looks like Apple will simplify the experience even further.

According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, the Cupertino-based company is working on an initiative to drop the “Hey” in the trigger phrase. This way, a user only needs to say “Siri" and then say the command they want.

While the change seems small, Gurman says that implementing the new trigger phrase is a technical challenge that requires a significant amount of AI training and underlying engineering work. The challenge reportedly is in getting Siri to detect the single word “Siri” in different accents and dialects. "Siri" also gives engineers one less syllable to work with compared to “Hey Siri.”

Apple has reportedly been working on the change for several months now, testing the new wake word with employees and collecting the necessary training data. If everything goes according to plan, Apple hopes to implement the new wake word "either next year or the year after," says Gurman.

Apple is also developing other changes for Siri. For instance, the company is looking into integrating the voice assistant more deeply into third-party apps and services. Apple is also improving Siri's ability to understand users and take the correct course of action.

Alexa, a digital assistant by Amazon, can also be triggered just by saying "Alexa." Google, on the other hand, requires users to say either "OK Google" or "Hey Google" to summon its assistant.

Source: Bloomberg