Users who have an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac can interact with Siri without even touching the device by using the voice command “Hey Siri,” which invokes Apple’s virtual assistant. As other assistants like Amazon’s Alexa also have similar commands, Facebook is now introducing a new, “Hey Facebook” wake word for its own smart devices.
The new MacBook Air is the best MacBook for most people. This latest model demonstrates the capabilities of Apple's M1 chip, which transforms the Air from an underpowered entry-level option to one. Facebook to Rival Apple's Siri With New 'Hey Facebook' Wake Word. Posted February 26, 2021 at 6:52am by iClarified 4070 views Translate.
Facebook has its own lineup of smart devices called “Portal,” which are basically tablets or “Smart Displays” designed to be used at home on a table or desk. In addition, there’s also the Oculus VR platform, which is owned by Facebook.
As reported by the Verge, Facebook today announced that Oculus Quest users can now have a hands-free experience when using the voice command “Hey Facebook.” For instance, commands such as “Hey Facebook, take a screenshot” or “Hey Facebook, show me who’s online” are now available for users.
Portal devices already have a similar command — “Hey Portal” — which is now being replaced by “Hey Facebook.” Just like other virtual assistants, Facebook devices begin recording and transcribing what the user says after identifying the wake words. Facebook says that this feature is optional and comes disabled by default.
Unless you turn Portal’s microphone off, Portal listens for a wake word. If Portal detects a wake word, a visual indicator appears on the bottom of the screen, and Portal will start to record and transcribe your voice interaction. This recording and transcription is sent to Facebook servers in real-time to respond to your request.
This, of course, raises privacy concerns since Facebook is known for collecting user data without asking for permission. Although Siri offers a similar feature with “Hey Siri,” Apple ensures that its devices don’t send anything to Apple’s servers until the device hears the wake command. The process of identifying the “Hey Siri” phrase is done offline, thanks to the AI built into Apple’s own chips.
Would you trust letting Facebook’s virtual assistant always be on in your home or at work? Let us know in the comments below.
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Like Siri on your other Apple devices, Siri on Mac is your intelligent personal assistant, helping you multitask and get things done. For example, while you work on a document, you can ask Siri to send a message to your coworker saying that the document is on the way—without having to stop what you’re doing.
Here are some of the many other things you can ask Siri to do. You can also ask Siri, ”What can you do?”
- 'Show the PDFs in my Downloads folder.”
- “How much free space do I have on my Mac?”
- “Play the top 40 jazz songs.”
- “What’s the weather in Lake Tahoe?”
- “Find tweets from José Bautista.”
- “Search the web for images of the Eiffel Tower.”
- “Show me all of the files I shared with Cecilia last week.”
- “FaceTime Victoria.”
- 'Add Laura to my 10 AM meeting.”
- “Show my photos from yesterday.”
- “What time is it in Monterrey, Mexico?”
- ”Find coffee near me.”
- Starting with macOS Mojave, you can use Siri to play a sound on a device to help you find it. For example, if you turn on Find My iPhone for your devices, you can ask ”Where's my iPhone?' or ”Where's my Watch?”
Ask Siri
To ask Siri, take any of these actions, then just say what you need:
- Click in the menu bar, Dock, or Touch Bar.
- If Siri is already open, click or in the Siri window.
- Press and hold the Command (⌘) key and Space bar until Siri responds.
- Say ”Hey Siri” on a Mac that supports 'Hey Siri.' On notebook computers that support this feature, the lid must be open.
If Siri doesn't close automatically, click or swipe right to close.
If Siri doesn't hear or understand you
- Make sure that you're using macOS Sierra or later.
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then check your microphone selection in Sound preferences or Siri preferences. Or test with a different mic, such as the mic in your AirPods or Apple Earphones. If you're using a Mac mini or Mac Pro, you must connect a mic for Siri to hear you.
- If Siri seems to hear you but not understand you, make sure that your language and dialect are selected in Siri preferences.
- If Siri can't connect to the network or asks you to try again in a little while, check your Internet connection.
Ask Siri to find files on your Mac
Siri makes it easy to find files on your Mac, using various criteria. For example, you can ask Siri to ”search for all the documents I opened this month.” Then show ”just the ones titled lesson.”
Keep Siri results where you can find them
You can keep important information provided by Siri right in Notification Center . So you can easily access sports schedules, Twitter feeds, files that are related to your big project, and much more.
Just click at the top of your Siri results. Your information will stay up to date, so you always know where to find game times, trending topics, or important documents.
Drag Siri results
You can drag some types of information found by Siri into a window or application on your desktop. For example, after asking Siri to find an image on the web, you can drag an image from the results into a Pages document:
Edit your Siri request
To edit your request instead of making a new request, double-click your words in the Siri window, then enter your changes from the keyboard and press Return.
Change Siri preferences
Apple Hey Siri Ok Google
Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Siri. Or just ask Siri to open Siri Preferences. You can adjust settings such as the Siri keyboard shortcut, the gender and dialect Siri uses, and whether Siri gives voice feedback. And if you're using macOS Catalina or later, you can choose whether to delete Siri and dictation history.
Apple Hey Siri
Learn more about Siri preferences.
Learn more
- Learn how ”Hey Siri” works with multiple devices.
- Learn how to control your home with Siri.
Enable Hey Siri Macbook
Siri features might vary by country or region.