Somehow, iOS 15 made Siri Dumber



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Photo: Victoria / Gizmodo song

Siri is not known for be the smartest digital assistant on the block, but at least it could do basic functions like checking your voicemail messages. However, with the public release of iOS 15, it looks like Siri has forgotten how to perform some basic tasks, to the detriment of those who can rely on Siri as an accessibility tool.

According to MacRumors, Siri commands related to phone calls, voicemail messages and emails suddenly stopped working. Users of the AppleVis forums — an online resource for blind and visually impaired people who use Apple products—also raised concerns.

The removed commands (via MacRumors) are:

  • Do I have voicemail messages?
  • Listen to my voicemail messages
  • Consult my call history
  • Check my recent calls
  • Who called me?
  • Send an email
  • Send an email to [person]

Gizmodo has confirmed that these Siri commands no longer work with an iPhone 12 Pro Max running iOS 15. For example, when asked to check the call history, Siri replied, “I can’t help you, but you can ask me to open the Phone app. “While none of these commands are specifically designed for people who are blind or have low vision, they can be useful tools. Apple also lists Siri as one of its vision accessibility features. These controls can also be useful for people with motor or cognitive disabilities, as well as able-bodied people who need a hands-free option when doing activities like cooking or driving. Again, these are a few basic commands you would expect from any working digital assistant.

It’s unclear if these deletions are permanent, or perhaps another iOS 15 bug that will be fixed in an update. Gizmodo contacted Apple but did not receive an immediate response.

To be fair, iOS 15 has had its fair share of bugs since its release. For example, Instagram Stories were muted in iOS 15 if your ringtone switch was set to silent—although this has since been corrected. Another bug was that the handy “Unlock with Apple Watch” function did not work on some iPhone 13s. Others reported touch responsiveness issues, AirPods Pro controls, and a Messages bug that deletes some saved photos.

Bugs in an initial public release are not unusual. We’ve seen this happen many times before, and it’s a big reason why you might want to wait for a more stable version before upgrading. But if you haven’t upgraded yet and these are features you rely on, you might want to wait until we get an iOS 15.1 patch.

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