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?
- How to Use Voice Control on iPhone in iOS 13
- How to Change Voice Control Language in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14
- How to Interact With iPhone Screen Using Voice Control
- How Voice Control Differs from SIRI?
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.
- Launch Settings app on your iPhone and tap on Accessibility.
- Tap on Voice Control.
- Tap on Set Up Voice Control → Continue → Done. The toggle for Voice Control will be turned ON
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.
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.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap on Accessibility.
- Tap on Voice Control.
- Next, tap on Language and select the one you prefer.
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.
You can also work with what is onscreen by saying:
“Show grid”
“Show names”
“Tap <numbers>” etc.
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.”
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>“.
Further, you can say “Show me what to say” to see a list of available commands for different situations.
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.
You may like to read:
- How to Turn ON LED Notification Light for Calls and Texts on iPhone
- iPhone Display Screen Colors Distorted: Here is a Quick Fix
- How to use Voice Control on Mac: The ultimate guide
If you know a person with a disability who can benefit from this post, kindly share it with him/her/their family member.
Hello Jignesh:
Thank you for the Voice Control guide with updated features in ios14. ?Your tide was very clear. It was very helpful to mention the different ways to access locations.
I have done extensive experimenting and discovered ways to use voice control to play word and other games. I can refer you to some videos if you would like to see. I would be pleased to assist in a future article.
Thank you.
Steve Frank
Clear view Innovations
Baltimore