Apple Could Drop ‘Hey Siri’ Trigger Phrase At WWDC 2023: What It Means

‘Hey Siri’ is an iconic phrase that Apple first introduced in 2014 to invoke Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant, and it has become quite popular over the years thanks to references in popular culture and the tech community in general.

Now, as reported by MacRumors, quoting Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the iPhone maker could be announcing the dropping of support for the trigger phrase—’Hey Siri,’ which helps invoke Siri hands-free, at WWDC 2023. “I’d look out for that possibility next week,” Gurman tweeted today.

First reported in November last year, Gurman claimed that Apple “is working on an initiative to drop the ‘Hey’ in the trigger phrase so that a user” will only need to say ‘Siri’—coupled with a command.

Moreover, Bloomberg reported that the iPhone maker has been working on implementing this change “for several months” and if everything works out—the brand could roll it out in 2023, which means an announcement at WWDC 2023 could be possible.

If the change comes to fruition, Apple will match Amazon’s Alexa—which requires users to say ‘Alexa’ instead of ‘Hey Alexa.’

In related news, Apple is also expected to reveal ‘several new Macs,’ at WWDC 2023, powered by the M2 Max processor and a yet-to-be-unveiled M2 Ultra chip. Also, Apple’s rumoured mixed-reality headset, is expected to be the highlight of the event. Bloomberg notes that this launch is likely to be as big of a moment as launching the original iPhone was for the company and may even affect Apple CEO Tim Cook’s ‘legacy.’