How to Use Voice Control on iPhone

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Voice Control is an accessibility tool on the iPhone and iPad that lets you use and control your device without physically touching the screen. It is effortless to turn on and simple to use, though it can take a while to keep all voice commands in mind.

In this post, we will be looking at how to turn on and use Voice Control on iPhone. But before we get into that, it is essential to know what this feature does, whom it is for, and how you can interact with your iPhone using Voice Control.

How to Turn ON and Use Voice Control in on iPhone

For Whom The Voice Control is?

Voice Control is focused on people with disabilities who can not or find it difficult to touch their iPhone or iPad screen. Voice Control empowers them to work with their speech to use almost all the features of their iDevice like Messages, Mail, Call, Notes, etc. It is a an incredible option for people having limited dexterity or mobility. It can also be an alternative to physical touch control if you have your hands full and prefer to use your device using voice.

How to Use Voice Control on iPhone in iOS 13

Before you proceed, make sure you are connected to a Wi-Fi network.

  1. Launch Settings app on your iPhone and tap on Accessibility.Launch Settings app on iPhone 11 and select Accessibility
  2. Tap on Voice Control.
  3. Tap on Set Up Voice Control → Continue → Done. The toggle for Voice Control will be turned ON

Tap on Done to Set Up Voice Control on iPhone

You will see the grey-black microphone icon at the top of your screen. A download will begin in the background. Wait for it to finish. Once it is completed, the microphone icon will turn blue. From now on, you can use Voice Control without internet connectivity. So this is how you can turn on Voice Control on your iPhone and iPad.

Use Voice Control in iOS 13 on iPhone without Internet Connection

How to Change Voice Control Language in iOS 14

In iOS 14, Apple has added support for English (United Kingdom) and English (India) to Voice Control. It is an improvement from English (United States) in iOS 13. Here is how to switch the Voice Control language on your iOS and iPadOS devices.

  1. Open the Settings app
  2. Tap on Accessibility.
  3. Tap on Voice Control.open settings tap on accessibility and then tap voice control in ios 14
  4. Next, tap on Language and select the one you prefer.tap on language and select language to change voice control language in iOS 14 on iphone

How to Interact With iPhone Screen Using Voice Control

When Voice Control is listening, you can say words and phrases for system commands and navigation like:

“Open <application name>”
“Open Control Center”
“Go home”
“Go back”
“Go to sleep”
“Scroll up” etc.

Open Control Center Using Voice Control on iPhone

You can also work with what is onscreen by saying:

“Show grid”
“Show names”
“Tap <numbers>” etc.

Interact With iPhone Screen Using Voice Control in iOS 13

There are over a hundred commands that you can say to use your device by voice. Here are a few more useful ones:

    • To access Spotlight Search on the Home screen say “Swipe down.”
    • To delete a typed word say “Delete <word>”
    • To long-press menus for certain apps, say “Long press <app name>”
    • See App Switcher say “Open App Switcher”
    • To wake your device, say “Hey Siri, turn on Voice Control.”
    • To activate listening, you can say “Go to sleep” or “Wake up.”
    • To lock your device, say “Lock screen.”
    • Repeat actions, such as taps and swipes, say “Repeat that.” You can take this further and also specify how many times to repeat an action. Like, you can say “Swipe left. Repeat that four times.”

Tap on Customise Commands in Voice Control on iPhone

View Voice Commands List in iOS 13 on iPhone

Pro Tip: If you do not remember what to say or which words to use, simply say “Show numbers.” Now, numbers (1,2,3…) will appear at places on the screen where a tap can be registered. After that, say “Tap 2” or whatever number you wish. You can also say “Show names” and then say “Tap <name you see on screen>“.

Use Show Numbers Voice Command on iPhone

Further, you can say “Show me what to say” to see a list of available commands for different situations.

Speak Show me what to Say for Available Commands on iPhone

I hope this post was helpful. Before you go, take a quick moment to read the differences between SIRI and Voice Control.

How Voice Control Differs from SIRI?

    • Unlike SIRI, Voice Control is an accessibility feature
    • It controls the device rather than being a voice assistant. It substitutes touch input with voice input and enables you to interact with what is on the iPhone screen. Voice Control does not change how your device responds to touch
    • Voice Control works offline; however, SIRI needs a constant internet connection to function
    • Voice control only understands exact words, while SIRI can understand similar words and sentences

Is Voice Control Private and Secure?

Apple had made it clear in the keynote that when you use Voice Control, it is processed on the device itself and nothing is sent to Apple or stored by Apple. Voice Control is also available on Macs running macOS Catalina.

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If you know a person with a disability who can benefit from this post, kindly share it with him/her/their family member.

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Jignesh Padhiyar is the co-founder of iGeeksBlog.com who has a keen eye for news, rumors and all the unusual stuff that happens around Apple products. During his tight schedule, Jignesh finds some moments of respite to share side-splitting contents on social media.