Life
You've probably heard at least one person say smartphones are distracting and end up hindering you from completing important tasks. But according to Think With Google, the search engine's marketing research and insights page, 75% of people said that their smartphones actually helped them feel more productive in 2017. It just depends on how you choose to use your phone's features. If you have an iPhone, for example, you might not have realized all the ways Siri can help you be more productive and stay on track.
According to the November 2018 Voice Assistant Consumer Adoption Report, 44% of smartphone owners use Siri over any other virtual assistant, making it the most commonly used smart voice assistant out there. Despite its popularity, however, the report suggested that 35% of smartphone users only tried voice assistants once or twice, and rarely put them to use otherwise. People might be more likely to use these voice assistants if they knew they could be used to send messages, Google questions on the fly, and update their to-do lists completely hands-free. But productivity isn't limited to work tasks and assignments — it also includes anything that helps you center yourself and feel organized. Siri's got you covered there, too.
Here are 11 Siri productivity hacks you can start using today to help you get through your lengthy to-do list this week and next.
1
Set Reminders For The Day
Your iPhone lets you create Reminders and to-do lists for yourself, but thanks to Siri you can set these Reminders without having to open up the app or type things out. Simply saying something like "Siri, remind me to call my mom back at 6pm" automatically sets that Reminder. This way, when 6pm rolls by, you'll get a notification reminding you to do what you need to get done.
2
Log Your Meals
If you have fitness and wellness apps downloaded onto your phone to help you keep track of what you eat, how much water you drink, or how many steps you take, Siri can help you stay on track. First, just make sure that you create a shortcut on Siri, so that you can set a certain task into motion by saying one word or pressing a shortcut icon. For example, if you download an app that tracks your water intake, you can set up a shortcut on Siri so that when you say something like "Siri, log eight ounces of water," Siri will understand you're talking in reference to the app, and go ahead and record your water intake on the app hands free.
3
Time Your Tasks
If you want to make sure you're not spending too much time on one task, ask Siri to set timers for you to keep you on track. Say, "Siri, set a timer for 25 minutes" and you'll have your timer ready and started without having to fumble with your phone. You can do the same thing to time your breaks too.
4
Keep Track Of Your Sleep
If you have apps like AutoSleep on your phone to track your sleep patterns, you can check in on the data by using Siri. This app requires you to set up a shortcut beforehand. After doing that, you can just ask, "Siri, how did I sleep?" and Siri will read off the information that the app has stored about your sleep patterns. That way, you don't have to take time out of your day to go through the logistics — you can just get a quick, helpful summary read to you.
5
Reply To Texts When Your Hands Are Full
Whether you're getting your nails done, walking, or just don't have the time to skip a beat, you can still get around to replying to text messages using Siri. Siri can read you your last text messages and help you dictate replies so that you don't have to stop what you're doing to send a text. Plus, it's super entertaining having Siri read out emojis.
6
Relieve Stress
Sometimes the best way to increase productivity is to make sure you're carving out time to just relax and breathe. If you have the Calm app, which is used for meditation and relaxation, you have the ability to tell Siri to use it immediately by saying something simple like, "Siri, Breathe." Siri will understand this (once you've set up a shortcut for the app) and read out options for breathing or meditation.
7
Send Emails
If you're in the middle of drafting up an important memo but suddenly remember you have to email a coworker about an upcoming meeting, you don't have to stop what you're doing or switch tabs. If your email is set up on your phone, just say "Siri, send an email" and Siri will begin an email that you can address to someone and dictate.
8
Make Reservations
If you have to make last minute dinner plans but can't find the time to stop and search for the number of the restaurant, Siri can help you out. Even if you don't have the restaurant's number in your address book, if you just say "Siri, call Olive Garden," Siri will suggest the nearest one to you and then dial the number once you give it the "OK." You can make dinner reservations while you're getting another task done.
9
Update Your Calendar
Sometimes you have to schedule your day as it happens. If an emergency appointment comes up or you just need to add another meeting into your calendar, you don't have to open up your calendar to do so. Just say something along the lines of: "Siri, add a Team Meeting to my calendar for February 29 at 2pm." You'll be able to create a calendar event and even let Siri know if you want to set up some sort of alert for when the event comes around.
10
Check How Far Places Are
If you're trying to plan out your day and want to see how long it'll take to get to your next destination, just ask Siri. You'll be able to ask how far a location is as well as how much time it would take for you to get there considering traffic. This way, you'll know the best time to leave home.
11
Ask Questions
If you're working on a report and can't remember a particular fact or statistic, you don't have to stop to Google it. Just ask Siri the question. By saying something like, "Siri, what percentage of people get their news online?" Siri will provide you with a list search of articles and sites that are most relevant to your search. You are going to have to dig a little deeper on your own, but oftentimes the articles Siri shows you will show the answer in the preview.
