Texting with your voice? Read this

September 21, 2023

By Kim Komando

I tell Siri what to type all the time. It’s so frustrating when I’m doing this and Barry is in the room. He thinks I am talking to him and will say, “What do you mean?” and Siri picks that up, too. Yeah, I know … first-world problems.

Sending a text with your voice can be a real time saver or a huge lesson in patience. Lucky for you, I’m your tech-savvy friend with a few ways to make it easier to get Siri or Google Assistant to do the typing for you. Just try some of what I listed below for you. You’ll love it!

Know the commands: Ever seen one of those memes where someone’s microphone caught all the things they said after they meant to send a text? Don’t be that person. When you’re ready to send, just say the word “Send.”

That’s not quite right: To delete the last word you dictated, say, “delete the last word.” To delete the last sentence, say, “clear sentence.” If you want to get rid of everything you just said, say, “clear all.”

😀 Add an emoji: You can do this with your voice, too. Just say the name of an emoji, like smiley emoji. No guarantees you’ll get the exact one you want. I wanted Barry to pick up eggs and Siri sent him the eggplant instead.

Look at the icon: If the microphone icon is on and glowing, it’s listening. If you want it to stop, tap the microphone or say, “stop listening.” Pro tip: You should also see an orange dot in the top right of your screen on your iPhone if it’s listening (green is the cam) and a green dot on Android. 

Still thinking? Depending on your phone, every pause might turn into a comma or period. Yes, it can be annoying, but that’s just how it goes.

✏️ Think of it as a rough draft: If you’re dictating a long message, consider what you say with your voice a starting place. It’s easy to go back and make corrections on your keyboard, and you still save a bunch of time.

Stop yelling: Talk to your digital assistant with your inside voice like you would a friend. I get it — the more frustrated you get, the louder you get. But that just makes your voice more garbled. Take a breath and try again.

Act natural: Talking way too fast or slow will probably confuse your voice assistance. Sorry, fast talkers.

🔇 I’ll leave you with one of my favorite Siri tricks. (You can use this on an Android, too.) Say, “Siri, put my phone on Do Not Disturb.” I use that before I record for the radio or a podcast. You can use it before bed, church, a movie or when you just need some peace.