Siri update brings coronavirus screening options, here's how to use them

How to set up 'Hey Siri' on iPhone or iPad (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

You can now ask Siri if you have coronavirus.
The assistant will ask you questions from the CDC and the U.S. Public Health Service.
Depending on your answers, it will guide you to the appropriate help.

If you are concerned you might have COVID-19 and want to run your questions by someone, you can now do so by asking Siri.

Reported by CNBC, Apple has released an update to Siri with information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Public Health Service.

Users can now ask "Hey Siri, do I have coronavirus?" and Siri will lead them through some questions to help determine if they should seek medical help. It will ask users if they are exhibiting the symptoms most commonly linked to COVID-19 such as a fever, dry cough, or shortness of breath.

Apple released a COVID-19 symptom triage tool within Siri. Ask "how do I know if I have coronavirus?" and it'll walk you through a CDC-approved flow.

This is what voice assistants should be for.Apple released a COVID-19 symptom triage tool within Siri. Ask "how do I know if I have coronavirus?" and it'll walk you through a CDC-approved flow.

This is what voice assistants should be for.— Alexis Córdova (@acordova) March 21, 2020 March 21, 2020

If you answer that you are having extreme or life-threatening symptoms, Siri will advise you to immediately call emergency services and seek medical help.

If you say that you are exhibiting symptoms but they are not life-threatening, Siri will tell you to stay home and avoid contact with other people. It recommends reaching out to your doctor if your symptoms worsen.

For those who may be interested in getting connected to a doctor from home, Siri will also link you to some telemedicine options available on the App Store.

The upgrade to Siri is currently only available to users in the United States and is unclear if or when it will become available to users internationally.

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.