How to use Siri on your Mac
After you turn on Siri, you can use it to do almost anything. Just say something like โWhat time is it in Paris?โ or โTurn on Do Not Disturb.โ
Examples of ways to use Siri
On your Mac, activate Siri to answer a question or complete a task.
Here are some examples:
Say something like | Description |
|---|---|
โOpen Notes.โ | Opens the Notes app. |
โShow me my reminders.โ | Shows your reminders. |
โCreate a noteโ (and then dictate what you want to write). | Writes a note or email. |
โSet up a meeting at 9.โ | Sets up a meeting. |
โSet a pizza timer for 12 minutes.โ | Starts a countdown timer from the Clock app. |
โPlay a playlist of happy songs.โ | Recommends songs or plays playlists in Apple Music based on music youโve listened to or loved. |
โPlay the top song from March 1991.โ | Plays the top song from March 1991. You can also get information about songs, albums, artists, or album notes for items in your music library. |
โWhereโs the nearest grocery store?โ or โWhat time is it in Paris?โ | Provides information based on your location (when Location Services is turned on in Privacy & Security settings), such as the nearest grocery store, or shows a map with more details. |
โIncrease my screen brightnessโ | Changes certain settings, or opens a setting so you can choose options. |
โFind my AirPodsโ or โPing my iPhone.โ | Opens the Find My app and shows the location of your devices. |
โTurn off the lights.โ | Controls lights and other accessories in your home. |
โTurn on Voice Control.โ | Turns on Voice Control (or other accessibility features). |
โWhat causes seasons?โ | Provides answers to general questions. |
โHey Siri, block off an hour.โ | Creates a one-hour event using Siri Shortcuts. See Add Siri Shortcuts. |
Tip: To get more ideas on how to use Siri, first activate Siri, then say โWhat can you do?โ
If youโd rather type your requests to Siri instead of speaking them, you can turn on Type to Siri. See Change Siri settings for accessibility.
If the Siri window doesnโt close automatically, you can close it manuallyโmove the pointer over it, then click the Clear button 
or swipe right on the Siri window using two fingers on the trackpad (use one finger on a Magic Mouse).
Use Siri results
You can open Siri results directly from the Siri window or use them in emails or documents.
On your Mac, do any of the following:
Open a result: Double-click a webpage to open it in Safari, or double-click a file or document to open it in the relevant app on your Mac. You can also force click a result to preview it in Quick Look.
Use or save a result: Drag locations, images, or text results into an email or document or to the desktop.
