Look up next time you’re outside and guess where the airplane above you is headed. Los Angeles? New York? Paris? Ask Siri this phrase, “What flights are overhead?” You’ll see the carrier, flight number and altitude in seconds. I love sharing simple digital life tips that make things easier.
Your phone’s smart assistant is high on the usefulness scale — if you know the correct commands. Here are five I use all the time.
1. Turn on the flashlight
When it’s dark, and you’re trying to read a menu or make your way down a dark hallway, you don’t want to fumble with your phone to find the flashlight. Say, “Turn on the flashlight.” It works for Siri and Google Assistant. Just say the wake name first to make sure they’re listening.
Don’t lose your precious memories. Here are the best ways to save your phone’s photos before it’s too late.
2. Add to my calendar
It’s easy to make spur-of-the-moment plans when you’re talking to someone. Then, when the time for the appointment strikes, you forget about it.
Instead of wasting a minute or two entering details manually, tell Siri or Google Assistant what your plan is, along with a date and time. For example, say, “Hey Siri, set up a lunch meeting with Bob tomorrow at 1 p.m.” You could also be more specific, like, “Hey, Google, add an event called Birthday Dinner on Sunday at 4 p.m.”
If you have multiple calendars, specify which one or it will fall into your default calendar.
Siri automatically connects to Apple’s Calendar app. If you use the Google Calendar, though, you’ll have to add it to Apple’s default app. Here’s how to get the two apps to play nicely together.
3. Set a timer
You’re just about to set a timer for tonight’s dinner. Then, you hear a loud thud from the other room, and one of the kids starts yelling for you. With a single sentence to your smart assistant, you can put a pin in your current task before running off to put out a fire elsewhere.
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