On your iPhone, it’s simple to ask Siri to perform a command. But, what happens if you don’t have your iPhone nearby as you work on your computer? You can use Siri on your Mac, too. It’s quick and easy, making it the perfect companion for your iMac or MacBook.
Siri has proven to be a great buddy to users of Apple products. It can help you set reminders, do certain tasks, and even help you with information. Hence, it’s important to know how to use Siri on your MacBook Air. This will help you maximize the experience you have with it.
Note: The instructions in this article apply to any Mac running macOS Sierra or later.
How do I turn Siri On/Off On my MacBook Air?
You can decide to turn Siri on when you need it and turn it off when you don’t. Follow the steps below to do this.
- Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen.
- Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.
- Choose Siri.
- Tick the box on the left side of the window to Talk to Siri or deselect the Disabable Ask Siri.
- Choose a language.
- Select a Siri Voice.
How to use a keyboard shortcut to activate Siri on your MacBook Air
There are a couple of ways to Ask Siri on your MacBook. You can click on Siri in your app Dock or the Menu bar at the top of the screen. But if you prefer keyboard shortcuts, you’re in luck — Siri likes them, too.
- Click Siri in the Menu Bar and say what you’d like her to do for you.
- Say “Hey Siri” and complete with whatever action or task you want it to do. An example is “Hey Siri, increase volume to 50” and it does.
- Tap Siri in the Touch Bar.
Or use the keyboard shortcut as set up to launch Siri and ask her
- Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen.
- Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.
- Select Siri.
- Under Keyboard Shortcut, select a keyboard shortcut to use. By default, you hold down Command-Space, but you can also select from Option-Space, Function-Space, or you can customize it with the key combination you prefer.
When you have a keyboard shortcut assigned, you can press and hold the two assigned keys until Siri pops up.
Edit Siri Settings On Your MacBook
You can edit Siri settings on your Mac to suit your preferences. Follow the steps below to do this.
Click on the Apple icon located at the top left corner of your laptop and select System Preferences.
- Choose Siri.
- On the right side, you’d see a number of settings you can tweak to what you prefer.
- You can choose to let your Mac listen for “Hey Siri” and allow Siri work when Mac’s locked.
- You can also set the keyboard shortcut, language, and Siri’s voice.
- Lastly, you can choose to receive voice feedback from Siri and add or remove it from the Menu Bar.
And that’s probably all you’d need to know to get Siri working for you. Relax and tell Siri what you want to be done. If you get stuck in any of these processes, please use the comments section below and we’ll be happy to help you out or make clarifications.
Ask Siri anything
Siri has a wealth of knowledge built into its ever-increasing intelligence. It knows a lot about sports, music, geography, astronomy, and more. If Siri doesn’t know the answer outright, it can find more information for you with a quick search of the web. You can ask Siri anything — and the more you ask, the more Apple will (anonymously) learn about what users need from Siri.
Have a question about Siri on the Mac? Let us know in the comments. Also, check out more articles here.