Apple’s IOS 17 To Introduce Personalized Speech Assistant

Apple has been testing the iOS 17 update for a few weeks with developer betas, and now it has rolled out the first public betas. (PAVLO GONCHAR/GETTY IMAGES)  

Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) upcoming iOS 17 would bring a new feature that allows iPhone users to create a personalized speech assistant that sounds just like them — here’s everything you need to know about how to access this latest way to interact with your device. 

Earlier this year, during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference or WWDC 2023, Cupertino introduced the world with the next iteration of the OS version, iOS 17.

On Thursday, Marques Brownlee, a prominent tech influencer, took to Twitter to share the exciting news that iPhone users would soon have the ability to create a voice for their speech assistant that closely resembles their own, with the entire process taking a mere 15 minutes.

Marques Brownlee speaks at the Samsung Galaxy Creators Collective 2023 at Gilley’s Dallas on March 21, 2023, in Dallas, Texas. (RICHARD RODRIGUEZ VIA GETTY) 

To access this feature, iPhone users need to navigate to the Accessibility settings of the new iOS 17. Then, under the Speech section, a new option called “Personal Voice” can be found.

According to Brownlee, the feature utilizes recordings of the user’s actual voice to create a synthesized voice that closely resembles their own. 

Users are guided through a process where they are provided with 15 minutes of text prompts to read out loud into the device’s microphone. 

The device then processes this data overnight, and the user wakes up the next day with a new personalized voice that can be used for typing to speak.

Brownlee found the synthesized voice impressive but noted that it still sounded slightly robotic, akin to speaking with someone on a phone call with a poor connection. 

 

 

iOS 17
Accessibility > Speech > Personal voice

Your iPhone can CREATE A VOICE THAT SOUNDS LIKE YOU in 15 minutes

(Subscribe for my full iOS 17 Breakdown) pic.twitter.com/4Eag06cn85

— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) July 12, 2023

Apple Inc. has rolled out the first public beta of iOS 17 for eligible iPhones, allowing users to give the upcoming iOS update a spin before the final version is released. (OMAR MARQUES/GETTY IMAGES) 

While the official release date of iOS 17 is anticipated to coincide with the launch of the new iPhone lineup in mid-September, the buzz surrounding this feature is already creating a wave of anticipation among tech enthusiasts and users alike.

On Wednesday, Cupertino made the first betas of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 available to the public beta testers, following the software’s initial unveiling at the WWDC. With developers having already received three betas, the public beta offers the same content as the third developer beta.

Produced in association with Benzinga

Edited by Judy Marie Sansom and Jason Reed