How To Activate Siri On Iphone Se

How to call up Siri when your iPhone display is covered

Access Siri when your iPhone display is obscured by using the Accessibility settings.

There are many occasions when you're not holding your iPhone but want some assistance from Siri. This is usually fine if you have the Hey Siri command enabled, but due to iOS also having a feature where you can place the handset face-down to turn the display off, this also has the effect of disabling Siri as well.

So how can you make it so that your voice is still heard, even when the iPhone display is covered? Here's what to do.

How to enable Hey Siri on iPhone

If you haven't set up the Hey Siri voice activation on your iPhone yet, here are the simple steps to get it working.

Open Settings
Tap Siri & Search
Enable Listen for "Hey Siri"

How to use Siri when iPhone screen is covered: Set up Hey Siri

Now, whenever your iPhone screen is unlocked, you should be able to quickly access Siri by using the voice command. By default, Hey Siri is disabled when your iPhone is locked. But if you always want access, then underneath the Enable Listen for "Hey Siri" setting you'll also see the option to turn on the Allow Siri When Locked option.

How to use Siri when iPhone screen is covered: Use when Locked

This won't overcome the problem of not being able to use the voice assistant when the screen is covered though, so for that you'll need to adjust the settings in the next section.

How to enable Hey Siri when iPhone screen is covered

To be able to use the Hey Siri voice command when your iPhone is face-down or has the display covered, you'll need to make use of one of the settings in the Accessibility section. To do this, follow these steps:

Open Settings
Tap on Accessibility
Scroll down and select Siri
Enable the Always Listen for "Hey Siri" setting.

How to use Siri when iPhone screen is covered: Aceessibility settings

That's it. You should now be able to wake Siri and make your enquiries, even if the iPhone is face-down on your desk.

For more ways to get the most out of Apple's digital assistant, take a look at how to use Siri on iPhone and iPad, how to use Siri shortcuts, and five of the best new features coming to Siri.

Author: Martyn Casserly, Contributor

Martyn Casserly

Martyn has been involved with tech ever since the arrival of his ZX Spectrum back in the early 80s. He covers iOS, Android, Windows, macOS and ChromeOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews.