Siri can help you get many a thing done fast (or faster) on a Mac. Find out here how to bring up Siri just as fast with a shortcut for the Mac keyboard and mouse or your voice.
First, Guests Appear Unexpectedly
The household led by Marie Caroline of Colloredo and her husband Franz Ferdinand of Trauttmansdorff was not prepared when guests turned up though none were expected. The guests, of course, expected nourishment.
In this bind and hurry, the kitchen staff threw together what remnants they found: rice, milk, whipped cream, pears, quinces, apples, strawberries, lemons, and vanilla.
So, legend has it, a now-ubiquitous Austrian dessert related in spirit to glorified rice has been first created around the turn of the 19th century.
No idea how to make rice Trautmannsdorf? Maybe ask Siri.
No idea how to bring up Siri? You can throw just about anything at your Mac to launch Siri:
How to Use Siri on a Mac with a Keyboard Shortcut
Time needed: 1 minute
To get Siri to listen on a Mac with a swift keyboard shortcut:
- Press and hold the microphone key 🎤︎ (Fn F5).
No mike: Without a 🎤︎ key, press and hold Command Space.
Different (or no) keys: If Command Space does not open a Siri prompt, or if you prefer a different key combination, you can change the Siri keyboard shortcut; see below.
Siri disabled: If Siri is disabled on the Mac, the keyboard shortcut will, of course, do nothing. - Talk to Siri.
Typing > speaking: You can also set up Siri to let you type commands and questions instead of voicing them (now that you are engaged with the keyboard already); see below.
How to Change the Keyboard Shortcut for Opening Siri
To change the key combination you can use to engage Siri on a Mac (or disable opening Siri with a keyboard shortcut altogether):
- Open System Settings on the Mac.
- Go to the Siri & Spotlight (or just Siri) category.
- Enable Ask Siri.
- Open the Keyboard Shortcut menu.
- Select the key combination you want to use as a shortcut for Siri.
Not in the list: To pick a combination not in the list, select Customize… and press the key combination you want to use.
No holding: Custom shortcuts for Siri always act as regular shortcuts; holding a combination to open Siri is only available for the defaults in the list.
No shortcut: Select Off to disable the Siri keyboard shortcut altogether.
Other Ways to Open Siri with the Keyboard
Using Spotlight
In lieu of the Siri keyboard shortcut, you can also use Spotlight to open Siri, of course:
- Press Command Space to open Spotlight search.
- Start typing
Siri. - Highlight Siri from results or auto-completion.
Not preferences: Do pick Siri as Application, not under the rubric System Preferences. - Press Enter.
Opening Siri from Terminal
To open Siri from a Mac Terminal prompt:
- Type
/System/Applications/Siri.app/Contents/MacOS/Siri. - Press Enter.
How to Open Siri with a Mouse Shortcut on a Mac
Using the Menu Bar
To engage Siri with a single mouse click:
- Click the Siri icon in the menu bar.
No Siri icon: You can disable the Siri icon in System Settings, where you can also enable it again.
Using Launchpad
To open Siri using the mouse and Mac Launchpad:
- Open Launchpad.
- Click or tap the Siri icon.
How to Open Mac Siri with Your Voice
To get Siri to listen just with your voice:
- Say “Hey, Siri…”
Not every Mac: Not all Macs that support Siri can also listen for the voice command.
Enabling “Hey, Siri” on a Mac
To turn on listening for “Hey, Siri” on your Mac:
- Open Sir & Spotlight in System Settings (see above).
- Enable Listen for “Hey Siri”.
How to Use Siri with a Mac Keyboard Shortcut: FAQ
Can I use Siri on a Mac with the keyboard alone (no voice)?
Yes.
To type commands for Siri instead of saying them aloud:
- Open System Settings.
- Go to the Accessibility category.
- Select Siri under General.
- Turn on Type to Siri.
(How to get Siri with a Mac keyboard shortcut tested with macOS Sonoma 14.0–14.5, Ventura 13.4 and Monterey 12.6; first published December 2022, last updated June 2024)