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7 Siri Voice Commands You Probably Didn’t Know About on Your iPhone

Siri does a lot more than just tell you the weather.

Siri makes it easy to get more done on your iPhone, using only your voice. A simple command allows you to do something like quickly send a text message while you’re driving or convert liters to cups as you cook in the kitchen — all without your hands. But Siri is capable of so much more.

Apple doesn’t flaunt all the things Siri can do for you, and every year Apple adds more voice commands that sometimes fly under the radar. For example, did you know that with iOS 16, you can now restart your iPhone with just your voice? And that’s just the start.

If you want to learn more about what you can do with your voice, check out these seven hidden Siri voice commands you should be using.

Want to know more about the hidden features on your iPhone? Read about these iOS 16 hidden features that make your iPhone better and how to find all those saved Wi-Fi passwords on your iPhone.

Quickly find saved passwords for websites and apps

You can save your usernames and passwords across all your Apple devices, including your iPhone, through the iCloud Keychain. On iOS, you can go to Settings > Passwords to view your saved passwords for your Apple ID, websites and applications — but you can access them quicker with Siri.

All you need to do is ask Siri «Show me the password for (app/website)» and you’ll be automatically redirected to that specific password page in your settings. Before you can view the password, you’ll need to use Face ID or Touch ID to gain access. From there, you can copy the username or password to your clipboard.

Restart your iPhone

If you’re experiencing a software issue, like an application continuously force-closing or a laggy operating system, you can often fix the problem with a quick restart of your iPhone. All you need to do is press down the home button plus either volume button for about a second and then slide to power off your device — but there’s an easier way to reboot.

Don’t miss: Your iPhone Has a New Siri Voice Command You’ll Want to Know About

As long as you’re running iOS 16, you can tell Siri «Restart my phone» and then say «Yes» when prompted to restart your device, without using your hands.

Turn off an annoying alarm

Your alarm is going off, but you’re either not near your iPhone or maybe you just can’t find it because it’s underneath your sheets or lost in your couch cushions. An iPhone alarm will persist for 15 minutes if you don’t cancel or snooze it, but there is a way to stop it with just your voice.

Even if your alarm is blaring loudly, you can tell Siri «Turn off my alarm» to silence it. In fact, you can even just say «Hey Siri» and that will also stop your alarm from ringing. Unlike the snooze feature, using either Siri command will permanently turn off the alarm.

Find family or friend using Find My

The Find My feature allows you track not only your Apple devices but also your friends, family and loved ones. If you’re tracking someone’s location via Find My, like your significant other or your sibling, you can use Siri to quickly check where they are at.

Ask Siri «Where is (contact name)?» and a small Find My window will appear at the top of the screen, showing you exactly where the person is. Siri will also announce how far they are and the approximate address of their location. If you tap the Find My window, you’ll be redirected to the Find My app, where you can contact the person, get directions to their location and more.

Translate a word or sentence

Besides the stand-alone app, Apple’s Translate feature is built into your iPhone, allowing you to quickly translate languages from pretty much anywhere on your device, including within your text messages, in your web browser and with Siri.

You can ask Siri to translate a single word or entire sentences with just your voice. For example, you can say «Translate ‘My head hurts. I think I’m going to sleep’ in Spanish» and Siri will then read out your sentence in the original language and then in the translated language. If you want to hear the translation again, you can hit the play button in the Translate window.

Currently, 17 languages, including Spanish and Chinese, are supported with Translate, but not all of them can be used with Siri.

Set a reminder based on your location

The Reminders app on your iPhone is a powerful productivity tool to help you remember what you need to do throughout the day, like make a phone call, send an email or make a purchase online. But you don’t need to be reminded of everything on your to-do list at all times, which is why you can use Siri to create a reminder notification based on your location.

For example, if you want to be reminded that you need to pay your internet bill when you get home, tell Siri «Remind me to pay my internet bill when I get home» and a reminder will be created. The next time you arrive home (which you can set in Contacts or Maps), the reminder should pop up on your phone. Besides work and home, you can set your location to somewhere like Target or a local park, but Siri will need you to verify the exact address.

Get directions back to your car

Parked at an airport and lost track of your car? It can be difficult to find your way back to your parked car, especially if you didn’t make a mental note and you’re in a large parking lot or garage with hundreds of other cars. Fortunately, your iPhone usually knows where you parked your car — all you need to do is ask Siri.

Say «Get my directions to my car» and Siri will open the Maps application and get you walking directions to where it thinks your car is parked. Your iPhone tracks which other devices your iPhone is connected to, like your car stereo, as well as your traveling speed, to estimate where your car is parked.

While you’re here, check out how to blur your home on Google Maps and how to find all those hidden Wi-Fi passwords on your Mac or Windows.

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Technologies

White House Joins TikTok With New Account. Here’s What It’s Posted So Far

An official White House account has shown up on TikTok, with one video featuring the caption: ‘We’re so back’.

The White House has officially joined TikTok, even as the administration is trying to help determine the future of the platform in the US.

So far, the TikTok account has four videos, a mix of videos of President Donald Trump speaking, footage of the White House itself over music and the caption: «We’re so back.» There’s also a video of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responding with hostility to a press conference question from a New York Times reporter, which is one way to set the tone early doors. As of this writing, the account had more than 123,000 followers so far.

The tagline for the account is: «Welcome to the Golden Age of America.»

After a move to ban TikTok in the US due to its Chinese ownership, the administration has delayed a shutdown as it seeks to help the company’s owner ByteDance, transfer ownership to a US company. There are expectations that new ownership could be announced as early as September as the company works on a US-only version of the TikTok mobile app. 

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Technologies

ROG Xbox Ally: Release Date, Specs, Price and How It Compares to Steam Deck

Can Microsoft and Asus give Valve some handheld competition?

The Steam Deck has yet to find a real competitor in the PC handheld gaming device battle. Other hardware companies, including Asus, Lenovo and MSI, have tried, but so far, their devices keep falling short. Asus plans to try to take another swipe at the crown, though, this time with the help of Microsoft.

In June, the two revealed their partnership for a new handheld device: the ROG Xbox Ally. This handheld will come in two variants and will attempt to bring the Xbox console experience to a portable device. Microsoft confirmed the release date for the Xbox Ally of Oct. 16 on Wednesday, but there are still some questions about the handheld. 

Will the Xbox Ally outdo the Steam Deck, or will it wind up being just another wannabe?

How much will the Xbox Ally cost?

Neither Microsoft nor Asus has confirmed an official price yet. One thing for sure is that the Xbox Ally won’t be cheap.

Multiple leaks suggest the price will be 599 euros for the Xbox Ally and 899 euros for a higher-end version, the Xbox Ally X. That does leave the question of what the price will be in the US. Most likely, the price will be the same just in dollars, as that is the typical practice for gaming hardware prices.

Discount social media poster Wario64 tweeted Best Buy listings for the Xbox Ally, Xbox Ally X, charger dock, and case on Wednesday. There’s no pricing on the site for the devices, just a button to be notified when preorders become available. However, Wario64 states the pricing on the back end shows the Xbox Ally at $550 and the Xbox Ally X at $900, while the charging dock is listed on the site $100 and case for $70. The dock and case prices are on Best Buy and are accurate. It’s unclear if Microsoft changed plans at the last minute. 

Microsoft didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the post. 

The uncertainty about the price of the Xbox Ally is likely due to tariffs. Microsoft recently increased the prices of its Xbox Series consoles and Asus has done the same with its laptops and its current ROG Ally lineup.

When does the Xbox Ally come out?

Microsoft did confirm the release date of the Xbox Ally on Oct. 16. This date was mentioned in previous leaks regarding the handheld device’s price. 

When can I preorder the Xbox Ally? 

Preorders are not available as of yet. In the blog post about the release date, Microsoft says preordering and pricing will be announced sometime in the future. Best Buy does have the listings for the Xbox Ally, Xbox Ally X, charging dock and case, and those interested can request to be notified when preorders become available. 

What’s the difference between the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X?

There are two versions of the Xbox Ally: the lower-priced Xbox Ally and the higher-priced Xbox Ally X.

The key differences between the two are in their processors, storage and memory. The Xbox Ally will have the AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor, while the Xbox Ally X will use the faster AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor. Memory will be different, with the lower-priced Xbox Ally having 16GB of LPDDR5X-6400 and the higher-cost handheld coming with 24GB LPDDR5X-8000. Both will come with SSD storage but the Xbox Ally will have 512GB and the Xbox Ally X will have 1TB. The Xbox Ally X will also come with a bigger battery but with a faster processor and more memory. It’s not clear if that difference in capacity translates to a longer battery life.

Specs for Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X

ROG Xbox Ally ROG Xbox Ally X
Operating System Windows 11 Home Windows 11 Home
Controls and grip Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort. ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R Hall Effect analog triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-axis IMU Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort, complete with impulse triggers for enhanced control.ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R impulse triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-axis IMU
Processor AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor
Memory 16GB LPDDR5X-6400 24GB LPDDR5X-8000
Storage 512GB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade 1TB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade
Display 7-inch, 1080p, IPS, 500 nits, 16:9; 120Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium;Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection 7-inch, 1080p, IPS, 500 nits, 16:9; 120Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium;Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection
I/O Ports 2x USB-C (2 x DP 2.1, PD 3.0), 1x microSD, 1x analog audio 2x USB-C (1x USB4, 1x USB 3.2 both w/ DP 2.1, PD 3.0), 1x micro SD, 1x analog audio
Network and Communication Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2), Bluetooth 5.4 Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2), Bluetooth 5.4
Dimensions 29.1×12.2×5.1 cm 29.1×12.2×5.1 cm
Weight 670g 715g
Battery 60Wh 80Wh
Included ROG Xbox Ally 65W charger Stand ROG Xbox Ally X 65W charger Stand

What makes the Xbox Ally different from the Steam Deck?

The most notable difference between the Xbox Ally and the Steam Deck is the operating system. Like the ROG Ally, the Xbox Ally will also use Windows 11, while the Steam Deck uses Valve’s SteamOS.

Even though every PC game works with Windows, handheld gaming devices running Windows have had serious issues, as the OS implementation has been a bit buggy. Portable consoles like the ROG Ally, MSI Claw and Lenovo Legion Go simply don’t run well with full Windows because the OS is designed for laptops and desktops and not handheld devices. SteamOS, however, is designed to run almost every game on Steam without issues and regardless of device size.

The Xbox Ally changes that by giving it an Xbox interface. This would be similar to how the Xbox app on PCs works for running games. It would also be able to download Xbox games directly to it, remote play them off a console or stream them via Xbox Cloud.

Another big difference is the hardware. The Steam Deck came out in 2022 and it was the first mass-produced handheld gaming device for PC. At the time, Valve had to use custom AMD processors but since then, AMD has produced more processors for handheld devices, which are now much more powerful in just a few years. The Xbox Ally would also have faster RAM. Both the improvement in processors and RAM should significantly increase the number of games the Xbox Ally can run versus the Steam Deck, which is already struggling to run newer games at 30fps.

Externally, the Xbox Ally will come with the same size 7-inch display but it will have a higher refresh rate of 120Hz, a brighter screen at 500 nits and increased resolution at 1080p. There will also be some slight differences in the physical size of the Xbox Ally, which will be a little bigger and heavier. Another difference from the Steam Deck is that the Xbox Ally controls will be more similar to the Xbox controller.

Microsoft and Asus have a large hill to climb if they plan to have the Xbox Ally dethrone the Steam Deck. It will be especially tough if Valve decides to announce the Steam Deck 2 soon. 

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Technologies

Sony Raises Prices of PlayStation 5 consoles

Starting Thursday, you can expect to pay more for a new PlayStation, thanks to «a challenging economic environment.»

Sony will increase the prices of its PlayStation 5 consoles in the US, starting Thursday, Aug. 21. This follows the trend of console manufacturers such as Microsoft and Nintendo raising prices for their hardware in response to tariffs. 

The PlayStation-maker posted about the pricing on Wednesday. The jump in price is $50 more than the current price for each model.

The new prices are:

«Similar to many global businesses, we continue to navigate a challenging economic environment,» Sony said in a post about the price increase. 

Back in March, Microsoft increased the price of the Xbox Series consoles back in May, and Nintendo hiked the original Switch console price and Switch 2 accessories earlier this month.

While the companies didn’t point to the tariffs instituted by President Donald Trump as the reason for the hardware price jump, it would explain the trend in recent months. 

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