- Change “Hey Siri” to any wake word you like
- You can set a command phrase to perform other actions too
- However there’s a slight delay compared with regular Siri
Did you know that in iOS 18, you can change Siri’s name? Well, sort of. By using an iOS accessibility feature called Vocal Shortcuts, you can define any command phrase you like to trigger Siri when spoken.
This trick introduces a slight delay compared with the default “Hey Siri” command, but it could make for a fun alternative and would be a great solution for anyone who accidentally summons Siri a bit too often.
Getting set up
Head to Settings > Accessibility > Vocal Shortcuts. Choose Set Up Vocal Shortcuts and then Continue.
You’ll be asked to pick an action to trigger when your wake word is detected. Scroll down until you find Siri under the System section – make sure you don’t select Siri Request, which is used to ask Siri a predefined question.
Siri’s new name
Type out the custom command phrase you’d like to use instead of “Siri” or “Hey Siri.” The choice is yours: “Computer,” “JARVIS,” “HAL 9000,” “Alexa 2,” or any other name you can cook up for Apple’s assistant. Just be wary of picking anything that might come up in normal conversation, as it will cause unwanted triggers.
On the next screen, you’ll need to speak your phrase aloud three times in succession. Try to speak naturally, as you would when making a genuine request. This trains the iPhone to recognize your voice specifically.
Finally, you’ll be asked whether you consent to your speech data being used (anonymously) to improve the feature. That’s totally up to you.
How it works
To use your command phrase, simply speak it aloud and wait a second or so for Siri to appear before asking your request. This small delay might be a dealbreaker for some, but could be a boon for the indecisive among us to whom a pause comes naturally. Either way, rest assured the usual Siri and Hey Siri wake words still work, even with Vocal Shortcuts on.
Many other uses
Of course, Vocal Shortcuts isn’t just useful for renaming Siri – you can trigger any Shortcut or system action with a custom command phrase. Set it up in just the same way as above, but choose a different action when prompted. This will be a huge boon to anyone for whom voice is the ideal way to control iPhone, but there’s a lot of potential for power user shortcuts and fun gimmicks too. Get creative!