Does Apple provide an API for SIRI?

Question

Is it possible that Apple does or will provide an API for Siri? It would be great if I can be sipping my coffee and say,

User: Hey Siri, could you please open Angry Birds; Level 4 and throw a first bird for me. Make sure you at least hit one green pig or it's coming out of your paycheck.

Siri: Yes sure, I will do that for you.

Is this possible? And would you think Apple will provide this to us?

Pepperandsalt

The formatting of this question makes it hard for me to take your question seriously anyway, so the [fun] tag is kind of unnecessary. – Biotype

There's no public API available right now, but it's obviously possible that Apple might decide to provide one in the future. Is that really all you wanted to know? – Lonlona

Why close votes? this is a serious question, just formatted humorously a bit. – Gentille

@Dani The thing I hate is, They didn't even care to comment! I don't mind hearing comments. lol Anyway Thanks Mate! – Pepperandsalt

Answer 1

In iOS 10, Apple has announced an API for Siri called SiriKit. However, you can only do it as an app extension and only if your app implements one of the following types of services:

• Audio or video calling
• Messaging
• Payments
• Searching photos
• Workouts
• Ride booking
• Climate and radio

SiriKit is a way for you to make your content available through Siri. It also lets you add support for your services to the Maps app. To support SiriKit, you use the Intents framework and Intents UI framework to implement one or more extensions that you then include inside your iOS app. When the user requests specific types of services through Siri or Maps, the system uses your extensions to provide those services.

This means SiriKit cannot be used for the scenario mentioned in the question and in ways that many of us would like.

Source: Apple Docs for SiriKit

Owenowena

SiriKit provides extension points for a very limited group of applications. It is a good first step, but falls far short of my expectations after hearing the keynote. I imagined a somewhat generic interface that could work for many apps versus a domain-specific approach. I don't mean to trivialize the complexity here -- it's beyond me -- but the Siri integration was billed as something widely useful to developers whereas only a small fraction will benefit. – Forest

@doNotCheckMyBlog Under what service does the Tesla App fall? I can‘t wrap my head around how they implemented Siri integration. electrek.co/2017/11/06/tesla-native-siri-integration-ios-app – Decorticate

I can answer my own question, its the „Car Commands“ Intent: developer.apple.com/documentation/sirikit – Decorticate

Answer 2

THIS IS NO LONGER ACCURATE:

There is no API and there is no indication of it changing anytime soon. There are private headers that you can look at by decompiling the SDK. This is a great synopsis:

Quora

You can be clever like RTM though, this is as close as it gets:

http://www.rememberthemilk.com/services/siri/

Eclipse

Thank you. That Quora synopsis is really meticulous and detailed. – Classis

Answer 3

When the iPhone was first released, there was absolutely no public talk from Apple about custom app development. The delayed release of the SDK gave them plenty of time to get public feedback on the iPhone user experience and make the SDK ready for public use.

It seems likely that they're taking a similar approach with Siri.

Lucullus

At the time, there was also absolutely no intention to allow third-party apps on the iPhone. That took a lot of convincing before SJ allowed it. – Escritoire

What's your source for that claim? – Lucullus

I asked Ron Okamoto about it right after Steve finished his introduction of the iPhone. I know Ron, having worked in his department for three and a half years. – Escritoire

Answer 4

Not yet. If you want it, file a feature request at bugreport.apple.com, and briefly describe what you want it for. The more people ask for it, the more likely it is to happen.

Escritoire