With yesterday’s release of iOS 14.3, Siri got a new trick: the ability to play real-world sound samples on command. Ask “Hey Siri, what does _____ sound ?” and it will start playing the sound for you. If you ask on an iPhone or iPad, it will show you a picture as well. Google Assistant has been able to do this for a few years now, but now it’s available for the iPhone, iPad, and HomePod.
Apple hasn’t announced how many sounds it’s added, but it’s been able to handle most of the animals I asked about. At the moment, it seems like the sounds are limited to animals, vehicles, and musical instruments. I tried asking for some nature-y sounds, such as thunder or a waterfall, and Siri didn’t play anything.
This feature is probably best heard, rather than read about, so I made a video in which I ask Siri to play different sounds.
The feature could also be useful if you have kids, who are always asking what things sound like. It’s also useful for when someone in your household says that foxes sound like people screaming, and you just have to know if they’re right.
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