5 new Siri tricks that'll transform your Apple experience

Before there were Google Now and Cortana, there was Siri.

Born in 2011 alongside the iPhone 4S, Siri has been waiting in the wings, accumulating better smarts with each generation of Apple software and hardware.

As of now, she recognises your voice, has honed her understanding of different accents, and is more responsive than ever. Don’t believe us? Enable Hey Siri on your different devices, speak the command, and watch her come to life on all your iThings simultaneously.

And as the true star of Apple’s WWDC 2016 presentation, it seems she’s about to get ever smarter. Here are the new ways this AI assistant is set to make your digital life even easier.

Siri will search YouTube

Got an Apple TV? No longer will you have to trawl through the chaos that is YouTube all on your lonesome.

When the tvOS update arrives, all you’ll have to do is ask Siri to surface funny cat videos and she’ll instantly pick out a selection of top-class feline antics. No request is too dumb for her.

Siri will run your smart home

With HomeKit and the new Home app in place, Siri can now manage your connected home devices for you.

“Lower the temperature to 19 degrees celsius.” No problemo. “Switch the back garden lights on.” Done deal. "Dispose of that dead body." Um, maybe not. She could be the voice to finally unite the fragmented smart home system.

Siri will multitask for you on your Mac

With the upcoming Sierra update, Siri is headed for macOS at long last. She will hang out in the depths of your Mac to fetch the files you’re looking for, send messages, and search out information that can be easily dragged and dropped into other programs.

In short, all the tasks that you’re too important (or lazy) to do manually. Just say the word and Siri will do the dirty work for you, giving Windows 10’s Cortana a run for her money.

Eager for Sierra? › Can your Mac upgrade to iOS 10 Sierra?

Siri is friendlier than ever

The walled garden is about to tumble down: Siri will soon cooperate with third-party apps. You can ask her to book an Uber for you, send a WhatsApp message for you, or perhaps even post something to Facebook on your behalf.

The point is her talents are not limited to Apple’s native apps any more; she’s been opened up to developers, and thus liberated to do much, much more.

Siri can see into the future

Siri has by now gotten to know you like an old friend – so much so that she can even finish your sentences. Indeed, she’s taking her knowledge of you into the QuickType keyboard and sending you suggestions as soon as you type them, so you don’t have to hop out of the app you’re in to locate it.

She knows you’re way too important for that.

Find out what else is in store › Apple iOS 10 preview