Communication has come a long way since the carrier pigeon and sealed letter, and it’s about to get easier still. Not only do we no longer need a bird, a train, or a telegram to send a message, now we don’t even need our fingers. All you need is your voice. It’s all thanks to WhatsApp’s latest iOS update, which allows users to send messages and place calls using Siri, Apple’s voice assistant. So talk to your mom or your friends. It literally couldn’t get any easier — the process, we mean, not necessarily the conversation.
The Facebook-owned messaging app is one of the most popular across the world, and has become one of the first to take full advantage of iOS 10’s Siri support for third-party integrations. All you have to do is ensure that you’ve enabled controls within your iPhone’s settings.
Once you update WhatsApp, you’ll be able to say things like, “Hey Siri, text my BFF Jill on WhatsApp,” and Apple’s virtual assistant will oblige. In fact, Siri will even hold your hand through the entire texting process – you’ll be able to tell her what message to send and she’ll confirm everything at the end. Because nothing could be more embarrassing than having Siri text your dad instead of your boyfriend by accident, right?
A couple other apps, including Uber, have also made use of iOS 10’s Siri capabilities. Now, you can call a black car to your doorstep using naught more than your voice.
While WhatsApp has gotten ahead of the game in bringing Siri into its functionality, parent company Facebook hasn’t done the same. Not yet, at least. Although it’s entirely possible that Facebook will soon introduce Siri to its messaging app Messenger, it’s currently not enabled. If you try to tell Siri to send a message via Messenger, she currentlyresponds, “Messenger hasn’t set that up with me yet.”
But stay tuned, friends. Soon, talking to your friends across the world will be as easy as, well, talking.
