Yeah, I talk to my phone — you should, too

July 24, 2023

By Kim Komando

You’re gonna love this! Forget fumbling with your phone. Start talking to Siri or Google Assistant. (Sorry, Samsung — no one uses Bixby.) Here are a few great voice commands you’re going to love. Just say, “Hey Siri” or “Hey Google” before the command.

“Find my phone.” Siri and Google will have your phone make sounds so you can locate it, even if it’s lost in the couch with the remote.

“Read my unread emails.” It’s perfect for when you’re driving or cooking.

“Take a picture.” No more missed photo opportunities! This opens the camera so you can take a picture quickly.

“Flip a coin.” This fun command is a quick decision-making tool.

“Remind me to do [task] when I get to [location].” Perfect for when you need to do something specific when you arrive at a place.

“Show me photos of … ” You can say people’s names, objects, activities, dates, locations or a combo. But you must identify everything in your photo library to make it work properly.

“Remind me of … “ When you have 20 things going on, say, “Hey Google, set a reminder …” or “Siri, remind me …” Done!  

“How long until … ” Christmas, a vacation or a birthday? Your assistant will do the math for you.

“Silence my phone … “ I do this before entering church every Sunday. It’s good for meetings and movies, too.

“That wasn’t for you.” When your assistant thinks you need it. On Android, this deletes whatever it just recorded from your history. Apple hasn’t said if Siri does the same, so I’d bet no.

⭐ Now, go talk to your phone. I’ll never forget when I was at the butcher counter in Safeway. This guy looked at me and said, “What a great piece of meat.” I said, “I beg your pardon!” He replied, “I’m talking to my wife in my earbuds about the filet!” Oops.