Get to know Siri’s new voice options in iOS 14.5.
The new version of Apple’s iPhone software introduces a pair of new voices for the American English options. VoiceOver users can also incorporate the new voices as well. The idea behind the change is to make Siri feel more inclusive, with voices that reflect the broad user base for Apples mobile devices.
First introduced in the iOS 14.5 beta, the new Siri voices are now available to anyone with an iPhone capable of running the update.
How to change Siri’s voice in iOS 14.5
- Launch Settings, and select Siri & Search.
- From the Siri & Search screen, select Siri Voice.
- Choose the accent you want by selecting one of the four options under the Voice section. Voices 2 and 3 are the new additions to iOS 14.5. Voice 1 (male) and Voice 4 (female) are the previous options.
- When you’ve found your new voice, select it and wait for it to download.
- When the download is complete, you’re ready to try out your new Siri voice.
Other Siri changes in iOS 14.5
You may not notice if you’re upgrading to iOS 14.5 from an existing device, but the new version of Apple’s phone software marks the end of Sir defaulting to a female voice. Now, when you set up your iPhone, you’ll be prompted to select the voice of your choosing.
Siri voices for Ireland, Italy and Russia have been upgrade to neural text to speech for iOS 14.5, which should make the digital assistant sound more natural in those languages. Apple also says that Siri expands Group FaceTime support with the ability to launch calls with multiple contacts; you can also ask the assistant to start a FaceTime call with any group you’ve assembled in Messages.
Siri is able to call emergency contacts in iOS 14.5. If you have a pair of compatible Beats headphones or AirPods, Siri can announce incoming calls thanks to the software update.
