How to Control Third Party iOS Apps with Siri

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: May 25, 2021

While previous versions of iOS only allowed limited Siri input for third-party apps, iOS 10 introduces a plethora of third-party apps that welcome in-app control from Siri. Before using Siri with these apps, you'll need to ensure that Siri is both "on" and enabled for app interactions.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:
Enabling Siri App Interactions

1
Open the Settings app.
2
Tap Siri.

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3
Make sure Siri is on. The switch next to "Siri" at the top of the page should be green.
- If this switch is grey, tap it to enable Siri. Before you can continue, you may need to set up Siri.
4
Tap App Support.
5
Enable Siri support for your preferred apps. To do this, tap the grey switches to the right of each third-party app listed here. The switches should turn green.
6
Press your Home button. Now you are ready to begin controlling third-party apps with Siri.

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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:
Controlling Apps with Siri

1
Hold down your Home button. This should activate Siri.
- If you have "Hey Siri" enabled, simply say "Hey Siri."
2
Say "Open (third-party app)". Siri should open the pertinent app.
3
Experiment with different apps. Some commands you can give include:
- "Send (contact name) a message in WhatsApp." Siri will prompt you to dictate your text.
- "Post a status to Facebook." Siri will ask for a status.
- "Check my account balance in Venmo." Siri will open Venmo for you.
4
Consider downloading more Siri-compatible apps. You can do this from within the App Store.

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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:
Searching for Siri-Compatible Apps

1
Open the App Store app.
2
Tap Featured. This is the star icon in the bottom left corner of the app.
3
Tap "We love iOS 10 for apps". You may have to scroll down for awhile to reach this option.
4
Find the "Hey Siri" section. This should be at the top of the page.
5
Tap See All>. You can find this to the right of the "Hey Siri..." text.
6
Review the supported apps list. You can use Siri to perform in-app functions such as messaging or sending money with all of the apps listed here.^{[1]
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- To download any of these apps, tap GET on the right side of the app's name.
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Warnings

Although using Siri to message or send money might be tempting, these are still actions that are best reserved for manual input.

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