A recently uncovered Apple patent suggests that you might soon be able to hear an iMessage in the sender’s voice, rather than Siri’s voice.
Users can already ask Siri to read incoming messages, but the new patent filed with the US Patent & Trademark Office is an extension of this feature, allowing users to hear a message in the sender’s voice, as first shared by PatentlyApple.
The patent, filed back in October 2022, went live today with D. Winarsky, Director Siri Text-to-Speech, listed as the lead inventor.
“In response to receiving a message from a contact named “John,” a user may desire to listen to the message in John’s voice, which enhances user experience while increasing efficiency of the device by eliminating the need for the user to read the received message,” reads the patent.
To enable the feature whenever it goes live (if it ever does), both the sender and recipient would need to share a voice file containing the necessary data to mimic the sender’s voice. The voice file would be automatically created and stored on the sender’s phone, based on their use of Siri. The recipient would be asked if they want to receive the voice file along with the message. If they choose to do so, subsequent messages from the sender can be read in a simulation of their voice.
The feature could be particularly useful while driving or when it is difficult to read messages, such as when cooking or walking down a busy street, with an added touch or personalization.
It’s worth noting that there is no guarantee that this feature will ever become a reality, and if it were to, we don’t have a specific timeframe. Check out the patent here.
Image credit: PatentlyApple
Source: PatentlyApple
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