The Parker Police Department issued a warning due to two recent incidents.
Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images
KUSA – The Parker Police Department had to issue a warning Thursday about the phenomenon of so-called “hooligans” saying “Siri 108” into their phones after it happened twice in two days.
Saying “Siri 108” automatically dials 911 and happens because the number “108” is used to dial emergency services in India, and is the equivalent of dialing emergency services in the U.S.
Posts about prank tell iPhone users to say "108" and close their eyes. That's because the phones give a five-second countdown where people can press cancel in case the calls to 911 were an accident.
Do NOT say "Siri 108" in to your iPhone. When you do it dials 9-1-1. Please don't tie up our Dispatchers and Officers because some hooligans on social media think it's funny. We follow-up on 9-1-1 hang ups-an Officer may even respond to your location. pic.twitter.com/foGzKSSbC5
— Parker Police Dept. (@ParkerPolice) July 12, 2018
Josh Hans, the spokesperson for Parker police, said this local department was inspired to issue a warning due to two recent incidents. The first happened on Tuesday, but there wasn’t really a cause for concern until it happened again on Wednesday, when an officer actually responded to the “Siri 108” caller. The cop talked to the caller's father.
This is a problem, according to Hans, because it ties up police resources on non-issues instead of true emergencies.
And, of course, if you’re the type of person who would prank call emergency services, Hans said you probably wouldn’t want a cop to show up where you are anyway.
But what should you do if you do accidentally dial 911 (or inadvertently say “108” while Siri’s listening)?
“It takes a lot more resources if you hang up than if you just stay on the line and say it’s the wrong number,” Hans said.
Swatting is the practice of prank calling emergency services in an effort to bring a large police presence to a certain location.
FAQs
Saying “Siri 108” automatically dials 911 and happens because the number “108” is used to dial emergency services in India, and is the equivalent of dialing emergency services in the U.S. The “Siri 108” prank isn't new.
What shouldn't you say to Siri? ›
7 things you should never ask Siri, Google Assistant or Alexa
- I don't want you to make this mistake.
- Play doctor.
- How to hurt someone.
- Anything that ends up with your mug shot.
- Be your telephone operator.
- Deal with your money.
- “Will I die if I eat this?”
- “Get rid of this.”
Here's the big mistake that happens when you say '14' to Siri. To be fair, it's not actually a glitch; what happens when you say 14 to Siri is intentional. It just doesn't make sense at face value to us. See, when you say the number 14 to Siri, your phone is instantly set up to call emergency services.
What does 14 do to Siri? ›
Dictating 14 to Siri on an iPhone as a verbal command will cause your phone to dial Emergency Services — 911 in the United States. It's good to know, but don't do it unless you have an actual emergency.
How to get Siri to call 999? ›
Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch, tap SOS, tap Hold Side Button, then turn off Hold Side Button. (Or open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, tap Emergency SOS, then turn off Hold Side Button to Dial.) You can still make an emergency call with the Emergency Call slider. Say “Hey Siri, call 999”.
What happens when you say 17 to Siri? ›
In reality, the hack doesn't work and if you do tell Siri “17,” you will unwittingly be calling for emergency services. According to the Siri user guide, iPhones automatically call the local emergency number no matter what emergency number you say.
Does Siri have a dark side? ›
A: While Siri's darker responses can be unsettling, it's important to remember that Siri is just a virtual assistant designed to assist users. The likelihood of experiencing any harm or danger is extremely low.
What happens if you ask Siri something illegal? ›
Those chats with Siri or Google Assistant could come back to bite you if you end up on the wrong side of the law. Keep those kinds of thoughts to yourself. Don't ask Alexa where to buy drugs, where to hide a body or anything else suspicious.
How do I stop Siri swearing? ›
Step 1: Go to Settings → General → Restrictions. Step 2: Select Restrictions to turn the feature on and create a four-digit passcode to access or change these settings. Enter the passcode again to confirm it, then select OK. Step 3: In the Siri Explicit Language section, select Hide to filter mature language.
Why is Siri silent? ›
If you can't hear Siri
Go to Settings. Tap Siri & Search. Tap Siri Responses. Tap Prefer Spoken Responses to hear Siri speak responses, even when Silent mode is turned on.
For more examples, see any of the following:
- Announce calls, messages, and more with Siri on iPhone.
- Use Siri to play music on iPhone.
- Control your home using Siri on iPhone.
- Get travel directions on iPhone.
- Add Siri Shortcuts on iPhone.
To activate Siri by pressing the Home button, tap the toggle switch next to Press Home for Siri. On devices without a physical Home button, you can use the Side button instead. Activate Siri by saying 'Hey Siri' or pressing the Home or Side button.
Why can't Siri do math? ›
Simple arithmetic calculations are performed by Siri using an inbuilt calculator but anything other than that Siri uses the internet to find the answer. Hence Siri, probably, does not want to take credit for the answer and it just displays it on the screen.
Can you just say Siri instead of Hey Siri? ›
How to enable Siri instead of Hey Siri on your iPhone. Tap on Listen for and select Siri. This will allow you to activate Siri by just saying her name, without the 'Hey' prefix.
What happens if you tell Siri 102? ›
You'll also see the emergency call prompt if you ask Siri to “Phone 101,” but if you say “Phone 102,” you'll see that Siri simply tries to dial 102, leading to an error. However, if you say “Phone 110” you'll get an emergency call once more.
Does Siri call 911 if you say 14? ›
If you say "14" to Siri, your iPhone will call the emergency number in the country where you currently are. Previously, saying “14” or any other emergency number to Siri would start a three-second countdown, during which you could cancel the call for emergency assistance.
How do I get Siri to decline calls? ›
When a call comes in, Siri identifies the caller, and asks if you want to answer the call. Say “yes” to accept the call or “no” to decline it.
