(Please note that this tip now only applies to those who haven't upgraded to iOS 8. The Raise to Speak feature has been replaced in iOS 8 with the Hey Siri feature.)
If you're not already using Siri, you need to start right now. Siri is awesome because it makes doing things like setting reminders and alarms, dictating calls and emails, calculating tips, and creating secure passwords quick, easy, and hands free.
You can make Siri even more convenient to use by using the Raise to Speak feature. Here's how:
Go to Settings>General>Siri (or skip all those steps and just tell Siri to open Siri settings. See? Siri makes everything easier.)
Toggle Raise to Speak on.
Now when you raise your phone to your ear from your lock screen (if you allow Siri access from the lock screen), your home screen, or an app, it will activate Siri. If a keyboard is open, it will activate dictation.
Getting the motion for activating Siri just right was tricky at first, but I got it down after only a few tries. Starting with your iPhone below the level of your ears in a vertical position, quickly raise the phone to your ear while simultaneously turning it to a horizontal position. You should hear the customary beeps indicating Siri has been activated. Speed and a decisive changing of the position of the phone seemed to be the key ingredients for getting the motion to work. If I raised my iPhone slowly or changed the position of the iPhone just a bit, nothing happened.
Have a cool tip to share with your fellow iPhone Life readers? Email me atsarah@iphonelife.com.
