I’m going to share the quickest and easiest way to start a timer using Siri on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, HomePod, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro.
Change the Way You Set a Timer Using Siri by Saying the Least Possible Amount of Words on Your Device
If there’s one thing Siri is absolutely fantastic at, it’s setting a timer. Just say ‘Hey Siri, set a timer for five minutes’ and boom, the timer is on its way to zero.
But, see that ‘Hey Siri, set a timer for’ bit? It’s a little too excessive in terms of word count. I’m sure you can do better than that. Way better, in fact.
Turns out, there is a way.
No matter where you’re using Siri, you can start a timer immediately without saying too many words. And once you use this method, I don’t think you’ll go back to the older way at all.
How Does it Work?
The way it works is simple – just bring up Siri and say ‘five minutes,’ and the assistant will set a timer for five minutes. Two minutes instead? Just say ‘two minutes.’
I’m not even kidding. You don’t have to say extra words to start a timer. Just verbally say the amount of time, and Siri knows you’re talking about setting a timer.
I usually bypass the ‘Hey Siri’ bit by simply pressing and holding the side button on my iPhone or Apple Watch. It’s quicker if you do it that way.
This is one of those things that will save you a ton of time, especially if you’re involved in tasks that need minute-by-minute precision. For example, when you’re cooking that perfect burger and want to perform the most precisely timed flip on the planet.
