Is there a time that you need to open something from your iPhone, but your hands are full? Since your internet connection is not stable, Siri is not your best choice. So what else can you do if both of your hands are occupied?
Do you still remember your iPhone’s Voice Control? Maybe you heard that before and we’re going to give this feature a visit once more.
Voice Control was introduced back in 2009 to help us perform iPhone functions using our voice. With just a few commands, you can already open your photos or even simply lock your iPhone’s screen. And the best part – no internet is needed for it!
Now let’s dig in deeper, and we’ll show you how you can enable Voice Control on your iPhone or iPad. We are also going to use an overlay to help us control our device faster and easier.
Activating Voice Control and Selecting Overlay
1. Go to your iPhone or iPad’s Settings.

2. Scroll down and tap “Accessibility”.

3. Tap “Voice Control”.

4. Tap the Voice Control toggle to activate it.

5. Once Voice Control is activated tap “Overlay”.

6. You can choose from one of these three overlays:
- Item Numbers
- Item Names
- Numbered Grid
7. Tapping “Item Numbers” will display a semi-transparent list of numbers corresponding to the command.

8. If you prefer the command to be labeled with its name, tap “Item Names”.

9. If you want a grid over your screen, tap “Numbered Grid”.

Which Overlay Should I Pick?
Always choose the Overlay that you are most comfortable with. If you want a clearer screen, maybe you can pick Item Numbers or Item Names. But if you are the person who prefers a fixed number grid on your screen, then choose Numbered Grid.
Using Voice Control with Number List Overlay
The command is straightforward. Simply say “Tap”, and next to it is the corresponding label on your screen. For example, say “Tap Photos.” or “Tap 1.”. Let’s start an actual command as an example using Item Numbers Overlay.
1. From your home screen, say “Tap 1.”

2. Once your photos open up, take a note of the corresponding number associated with the picture. For this example, we want to open the picture that is labeled 12.

3. Say “Tap 12.”
4. Since the number 1 is located on the return icon, simply say “Tap 1.” to return to your photos.

That’s it! If you want to be hands-free, don’t forget Voice Control, it may not be as cool as Siri, but it will definitely do the job as well. Use also the Overlay of your choice to help you better in activating a command. The Item Numbers is a must-try because it provides you with the most straightforward Overlay.
Now that you already know some basic voice control commands, why not play around with it and try some new commands.
To give you more ideas, here’s a detailed guide from Apple.
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Is there a way with iPhone 12 to label(or make a quick note) after a photo is taken for future reference?
I tried this, and found it too confusing and frustrating.