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Other Hey Siri While Playing Music

PumpkingKing

PumpkingKing

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 8, 2018
94
36
QLD, Australia
Listed as a feature available on the apple website, as well as verified a feature by talking to apple support, it is almost impossible for me to activate Hey Siri while playing music above level 2 volume. Obviously the volume of the music interferes with the mic's ability to pick up voice, so my question to apple is, why is it listed as a feature?

Is anyone able to actually activate Hey Siri on their phone while playing music at anywhere between 3 to max volume?
 
I don’t use Siri at all but when you say - volume 3 - mention the audio source as well, volume levels are different on different devices.
 
Never been able to activate Siri when playing music. Wish this was a feature. I’ve given up on the idea at this point.
 
OTACORB said:
Maybe on the HomePod it's a feature, but it's never worked on the iPhone or iPad's.
Click to expand...
It is not specified anywhere on the Apple website as to which devices it is supported on. It has been confirmed by two separate Apple support agents that it is an available feature for iPhone. Strange.
 
PumpkingKing said:
It is not specified anywhere on the Apple website as to which devices it is supported on. It has been confirmed by two separate Apple support agents that it is an available feature for iPhone. Strange.
Click to expand...

Well you got two Apple support agents that didn't know what they were talking about and that isn't really a big shocker. It works fine on the HomePod, but as I said... I've never been able to get it to work on iPhone's or iPad's while playing music. The reason is the mic is drowned out by the sound. Whereas the homePod has multiple mics and they are located where the music doesn't drown them out. HomePod sound is bottom firing and mics are at the top.
 
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OTACORB said:
Well you got two Apple support agents that didn't know what they were talking about and that isn't really a big shocker. It works fine on the HomePod, but as I said... I've never been able to get it to work on iPhone's or iPad's while playing music. The reason is the mic is drowned out by the sound. Whereas the homePod has multiple mics and they are located where the music doesn't drown them out. HomePod sound is bottom firing and mics are at the top.
Click to expand...
True, not a shocker that they wouldn't, though iPhones have 3 microphones, which includes one on the back of the device away from the speakers entirely, seeing as both are front firing. If it WAS a feature, wouldn't it be / shouldn't it be utilizing the back microphone for Siri and therefore allowing Hey Siri to work during playback?
 
PumpkingKing said:
True, not a shocker that they wouldn't, though iPhones have 3 microphones, which includes one on the back of the device away from the speakers entirely, seeing as both are front firing. If it WAS a feature, wouldn't it be / shouldn't it be utilizing the back microphone for Siri and therefore allowing Hey Siri to work during playback?
Click to expand...

Seems logical to me that it would work that way, but as we both know it doesn't. I just don't think that one or even 3 total microphones are enough or perhaps aren't tweaked properly to work. HomePod has a 6 microphone array for far-field Siri. They are designed to hear that "Hey Siri" command and then they mute down the sound. Although in my use I've already asked it what I needed before it mutes and 9 out of 10 times it gets it right. Provided I am clear when I say it.
 
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PumpkingKing said:
True, not a shocker that they wouldn't, though iPhones have 3 microphones, which includes one on the back of the device away from the speakers entirely, seeing as both are front firing. If it WAS a feature, wouldn't it be / shouldn't it be utilizing the back microphone for Siri and therefore allowing Hey Siri to work during playback?
Click to expand...

The microphone on the back is for noise cancelling. Not a normal microphone for voice input.
 
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akash.nu said:
The microphone on the back is for noise cancelling. Not a normal microphone for voice input.
Click to expand...
I'm not an expert in microphones, I don't claim to know much about them. So with the noise cancelling one, I can still record audio with it. Are you saying that it cannot take voice input for processing specifically?
 
PumpkingKing said:
I'm not an expert in microphones, I don't claim to know much about them. So with the noise cancelling one, I can still record audio with it. Are you saying that it cannot take voice input for processing specifically?
Click to expand...

The microphone on the back only works as audio input when your main camera is active. Siri commands normally go through the microphone at the bottom.

Try these troubleshooting steps.

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT203792

Either way, the feature might not be available on iPhone anyway, as others have suggested.
 
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