Apple's iPhone software has evolved significantly over the years, sometimes introducing changes that users find less intuitive than previous versions. Two notable areas where users have expressed frustration include the shift to banner-style call notifications and Siri's persistent limitations. Fortunately, there are ways to customize these features to better suit your preferences and improve your overall iPhone experience.
Bringing Back Full-Screen Call Alerts
For many iPhone users, the switch from full-screen call alerts to smaller banner notifications has proven problematic. While Apple intended this change to be less intrusive, many users report missing important calls because the subtle banners are easy to overlook during regular phone use.
The good news is that reverting to the more noticeable full-screen call alerts requires just a few simple steps. To make this change, open your iPhone's Settings app and navigate to the Apps section at the bottom of the screen. From there, scroll down to select Phone, then tap on Incoming Calls. You'll notice it's currently set to Banner by default. Simply select Full Screen instead, and your phone will return to displaying incoming calls across the entire screen, making them much harder to miss when expecting important calls.
Key iPhone Settings to Customize
-
Call Display Options:
- Banner (default) - Small notification at top of screen
- Full Screen - Interrupts current activity with full-screen alert
-
Siri Customization Options:
- Pronunciation settings for contacts
- Response modes: Silent, Spoken, or Automatic
- Type to Siri (requires iOS 18.1+)
- Voice and language selection
- Accessibility features: Pause Time, Speaking Rate, Listen for Atypical Speech
Improving Siri's Performance
Despite years of updates, Siri continues to frustrate many iPhone users with inconsistent performance and limited capabilities compared to competitors like ChatGPT and Google Gemini. However, since Siri remains the only assistant that can directly interact with your iPhone's core functions—such as making calls, sending texts, setting reminders, and launching apps—learning to optimize its performance is essential.
Teaching Siri Proper Pronunciation
One common frustration with Siri is its difficulty pronouncing certain names correctly. While Apple removed the ability to teach Siri pronunciation directly through voice commands, you can still help it through your Contacts app. Open Contacts, select the person whose name needs correction, tap Edit, and add a Pronunciation field by selecting Add Field. Type the phonetic spelling of the name, and Siri should use this guide when referring to that contact in the future.
Customizing Siri's Response Style
Siri's verbal responses can sometimes be disruptive, especially in quiet environments. You can customize how Siri communicates by going to Settings, selecting Apple Intelligence & Siri, and tapping Siri Responses. Choose Silent Responses to keep Siri quiet unless you're driving or using headphones, or Prefer Spoken Responses if you want verbal feedback even in silent mode. The Automatic option lets Siri decide when to speak based on context. For visual confirmation, enable Always Show Request to see both your question and Siri's response on screen.
Type Instead of Talk
For those who struggle with voice recognition or prefer typing, iOS 18.1 introduced a useful feature called Type to Siri. Enable this option in Settings under Apple Intelligence & Siri by selecting Talk & Type to Siri and toggling on Type to Siri. When activated, you can double-tap the bottom of your iPhone to bring up a text field where you can type your requests instead of speaking them.
Making Conversational Requests
Siri has improved its ability to handle contextual follow-up questions. Instead of repeating your entire query, you can now make back-to-back requests that reference previous questions. For example, after asking about the weather in Paris, you can simply follow up with And what about London? Siri will understand the context and provide weather information for the second location without requiring you to specify that you're still asking about weather.
Personalizing Siri's Voice and Language
While changing Siri's voice won't improve its accuracy, it can make interactions more pleasant. In Settings under Apple Intelligence & Siri, you can select from multiple language options including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and various English dialects. After choosing your preferred language, you can further customize by selecting different voice options, each with its own tone and speaking style.
Accessibility Enhancements for Better Interaction
Apple offers several accessibility options that can significantly improve Siri's usability. In Settings, navigate to Accessibility and then Siri to find these features. You can adjust Siri's pause time to give yourself more time to complete requests, modify the speaking rate for clearer understanding, and enable Always Listen for Siri to ensure it responds even when your phone is face down. For those with speech differences, the Listen for Atypical Speech option can help improve recognition accuracy.
These customizations demonstrate that while Siri may have limitations, taking time to optimize its settings can transform it from a frustrating feature into a more helpful assistant for everyday tasks. Similarly, restoring full-screen call alerts ensures you won't miss important communications. By tailoring these iPhone features to your specific needs, you can create a more efficient and personalized mobile experience.
