Finding a name in the phone, then the right number, then the right button, takes small steps that are easy to get wrong. In Shaterian you say who you want, and Smith, the companion inside the app, gets it ready. You say yes, and your iPhone does the rest.
In short
- Tell Smith “Call Reza”, “FaceTime Kate” or “Text Anna that I'm home”. He looks the name up in your contacts.
- He says what he is about to do, with the name in full. Nothing happens until you say yes or tap the button under his answer, or Not now.
- Your iPhone's own screens finish the job: it asks once more before a call rings, and a message opens in Messages with Send left to you.
Making a call
- Open Shaterian. Smith's screen is the first one.
- Tap the microphone and say “Call Reza.” Tap the microphone again when you have finished. You can also type it.
- Smith asks “Shall I call Reza Karimi on the mobile?”
- Tap Call Reza Karimi, or Not now.
- Your iPhone asks once more before it rings. Tap Call there.
He uses the mobile number when there is one. To use another, say so: “Ring Leila on her home number.” If there are two people with the same name, he says so and offers the first, named in full, so you can see who it is before you say yes.
For a video call, say “FaceTime Kate”. The button says FaceTime and her name in full, and FaceTime does the rest.
Sending a message
- Say “Text Anna that I'm home”, or simply “Text Daniel happy birthday.”
- Smith asks whether he should open a message to Anna saying “I'm home”.
- Tap Open Messages.
- Messages opens with the words typed in. Read them, change them if you like, and tap Send yourself.
Shaterian never sends a message on its own. If you only say “Message Anna”, Messages opens with nothing typed in, ready for you.
The first time: Contacts
The first time you ask, your iPhone asks whether Shaterian may see your contacts. Say yes, or Smith cannot find the numbers. Your contacts' names help Smith recognise the people you mention, and when you ask him to call or message someone, he finds that person's number. Contacts are read on your iPhone when they are needed, and never kept. If you said no, Smith says he can't see your contacts, and you can allow Contacts for Shaterian in the iPhone's Settings.
Use the name as it is in your contacts. Say “Call the doctor” and he looks for a contact saved as Dr or Doctor; if you have two, he asks which.
Say it plainly
Smith reads these requests by fixed rules, not guesses, so that a call is never placed on a guess. Start with the word for what you want: call, ring, phone, FaceTime, text or message, then the name. A roundabout way of asking, such as “Could you get hold of Reza for me?”, may be answered as a question instead.
He can do a few more things the same way: add an appointment to your calendar, and set reminders for your pills.
For families helping a parent
If your parent finds the phone's own screens fiddly, this can help: they say the name, and tap one large button. Easy to use with older eyes and unsteady hands says more about the buttons and text size, and Set it up together shows how to get started with them.
Questions people ask
Is there a voice assistant to call family that is easy for elderly people?
Shaterian is one. Say “Call Reza” to Smith, tap the button with Reza's name, and your iPhone places the call after asking once more.
Can it call someone without me tapping anything?
No. Smith always asks first and waits for you to tap, and your iPhone asks again before a call rings.
Does it send text messages for me?
It opens Messages with your words typed in. You tap Send yourself.
Does Shaterian keep my contacts?
No. It reads them when it needs them: names, to recognise the people you mention, and a number when you ask to call or message someone. It never keeps them.
What does it cost?
Two weeks free, then $2.99 a month, through the App Store.
