What are the most useful Siri commands on a Mac?

The most useful Siri commands on a Mac are the ones that save you a step: quick answers, calculations, settings changes and a first draft of text. The list below comes from Apple's own examples, so it shows what Siri is designed to handle. We have not tested every command, and "most useful" is our judgment of what saves the most time.

Quick answers and calculations

Siri is strongest when the answer is short. Apple's examples include calculations and conversions, such as "What's 18 percent of 225?" and "How many centimeters are in an inch?" ¹. These are one-line questions, so they are the simplest use of Siri on a Mac.

Settings and Voice Control

Siri can change settings for you. Apple lists requests that adjust settings, including "Turn on Voice Control" and "Turn on VoiceOver" ². This is one of the most practical commands for people who want to control the Mac by voice. Once Siri has turned Voice Control on, Voice Control handles dictation and commands, and Siri's part is over.

Keep in mind that when Voice Control is on, standard Dictation is not available ³, so turning Voice Control on replaces Dictation while it is active. The comparison is in dictation vs Voice Control vs Siri on a Mac, and the Voice Control basics are in Voice Control on Mac.

Drafting and proofreading

On macOS 27, Siri AI can help you write. Apple's examples cover composing a draft from scratch, proofreading and rewriting, and summarizing text, and you can ask follow-up questions and refine the work in the same Siri conversation ⁴. Treat the output as a draft to check, not as final text.

Drafting help is not the same as dictation. If you want your own words to appear in a document exactly as you say them, use Dictation. The question of whether Siri can do that is answered in can Siri take dictation on a Mac.

What Siri needs before it works

Two requirements apply to every command above. Siri needs to be turned on before you can use it to get information ⁵, and it needs an internet connection to work ⁶. You can then call it by voice with Hey Siri, but only if that option is turned on in Siri settings ⁷.

Siri and Dictation requests also leave a history. Apple says it links that history, including transcripts, to a random rotating identifier rather than your Apple Account, and may keep it for up to two years ⁸.

If a command does not respond, check the two requirements above before you look at anything else. If you use Siri for private requests, read is Apple Dictation private to see what Apple keeps and what you can change.

A short list to start with

• Ask a calculation or conversion question for a quick answer.
• Say "Turn on Voice Control" when you want to control the Mac by voice.
• Use Siri AI's writing help to draft or tidy a paragraph, then check it yourself.

For the full comparison of Siri with Dictation and Voice Control, see dictation vs Voice Control vs Siri on a Mac. For the other questions on this topic, see do you need Siri turned on to use dictation on a Mac.

The terms are defined in the glossary: Siri and Voice Control.