How to Use Siri to Find & Launch Apps

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By Jim Karpen
February 20, 2024

I have a lot of apps on both my iPhone and my iPad Air, and I can sometimes forget where I've stored them all. There's a much faster way to launch apps: simply ask Siri. Not only can you use Siri to launch and use apps, but Siri can also help you find and download apps of interest. Here's how to launch and control apps with Siri!

Why You'll Love This Tip:

  • Launch apps completely hands-free without having to find the app on your iPhone.
  • You don't have to know where you've stored the app or what it looks like to use and launch it.

How to Use Siri to Find and Launch Apps

System Requirements

This tip works on any iPhone or iPad running iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 or later.

Having Siri launch your apps and giving Siri commands about how to use them is not only fun but also using the AI Assistant exactly the way it was always intended. If you like tips about using your Apple devices, be sure to sign up for our free Tip of the Day!

  1. Either press and hold the side button to activate Siri, or say "Hey, Siri" if you have that feature enabled. Either press and hold the side button to activate Siri, or say "Hey Siri" if you have that feature enabled.
  2. To have Siri launch an app, simply say, "Launch [app name]." To have Siri launch an app, simply say, "Launch [app name]."
  3. You can also be very specific and say something like, "Open Bluetooth Settings." You can also be very specific and say something like "Open Bluetooth Settings."
  4. You can give commands to Siri by saying something like, "Set timer for two minutes." You can give commands to Siri by saying something like "Set timer for two minutes."
  5. Another great command to give Siri is to ask it to send a text message: "Send a text message to Mom." Siri will then prompt you to go through the motions, all completely hands-free. Another great command to give Siri is to ask her to send a text message: "Send a text message to Mom." She'll then prompt you to go through the motions, all completely hands-free.
  6. You can give fun commands, too, like "Play Anti-Hero by Taylor Swift on Spotify." You may need to agree to give Siri access to your Spotify or Apple Music data to perform this command, but it's amazing to be able to play music on demand like this. You can give fun commands too like "Play Anti-Hero by Taylor Swift on Spotify." You may need to agree to give Siri access to your Spotify or Apple Music data to perform this command, but it's amazing to be able to play music on demand like this.
  7. The last command I want to show you is how to switch to Do Not Disturb Focus. Simply say, "Activate Do Not Disturb." You will now be in Do Not Disturb mode. The last command I want to show you is how to switch to Do Not Disturb focus. Simply say, "Activate Do Not Disturb." You will now be in Do Not Disturb mode.

And that's how you can find and launch apps with Siri, completely hands-free! Siri is a very useful service, even if it can sometimes be underutilized as an excellent tool for navigating your iPhone.

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written by

Jim Karpen

Jim Karpen holds a Ph.D. in literature and writing, and has a love of gizmos. His doctoral dissertation focused on the revolutionary consequences of digital technologies and anticipated some of the developments taking place in the industry today. Jim has been writing about the Internet and technology since 1994 and has been using Apple's visionary products for decades.

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