Apple has dropped the need to say “hey” from “Hey Siri” when accessing its voice assistant Siri, with the release of iOS 17.

The elimination of the introductory “hey” comes as a welcome change, streamlining the user experience. This long-overdue update mirrors a similar feature introduced by Amazon a few years ago when they dropped the “Hey” greeting from their smart assistant, Alexa.

Amazon recognized the need to simplify user interactions and reduce unnecessary steps, allowing for a smoother and more convenient experience.

Google, on the other hand, has chosen to retain the “hey” or “okay” prefix when interacting with its virtual assistant.