On iOS, it’s tap, tap, tap with your finger. When using any computer interface, there’s a certain amount of tedium involved. Then I came to a realization I didn’t expect.

Even if you haven’t committed several keyboard shortcuts to memory, you can probably do something like launch a browser and type in a search for sandwich pictures faster than telling Siri to do the same task. Usually, Mac users have their hands on the keyboard and mouse. My initial response was that on the Mac, Siri feels more like a luxury than a must-have. Siri’s usefulness on iOS is emphasized by the iPhone’s relatively small screen size, the single-screen nature of the operating system, and the need for hands-free usage. Apple confirmed with me that the Siri third-party API is currently only for iOS.Īfter using Siri for a while, I couldn’t help asking myself how useful Siri is on the Mac. I use Microsoft Outlook for my work email, and when I asked Siri to read my latest email, it read an very old email that was in Apple Mail. One major caveat about Siri: It currently works only with Apple apps. (You can get voice activation to work if youĬreate a Dictation Command to trigger the Siri keyboard shortcut.) The default keyboard shortcut for Siri is to hold down Command-Spacebar, or you can click the Siri icons in the menu bar and in the Dock. However, there is no default setting to allow Siri to activate by saying, “Hey Siri” like you can on iOS.

When Siri is active, it works exactly as it does on iOS. It’s also the most obvious feature that signifies the iOS-ification of macOS. Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, is the marquee feature of macOS Sierra. Always back up before installing any operating system upgrades.) Siri comes to the Mac (And if you do decide to upgrade to Sierra, be sure to back up your Mac before you run the Sierra installer. Let’s take a look at the main new features of Sierra, and see how they fit into your workflow. If you use your iPad and iPhone a lot, then you’ll appreciate Sierra features like Siri, Universal Clipboard, and Apple Pay.

One way to look at it is to gauge how much you use iOS. Once you’ve determined that your Mac is compatible to a point you’re satisfied with and your software is good to go, then it gets a little more complicated.

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