# Making Call with Voice Command



## mrb (Aug 25, 2018)

I can’t figure out how to use the voice command to make a call from a contact on my contacts list that have multiple phone numbers. When I say “call John” it pops up both his mobile and work numbers on the screen and I would have to press one of them to make the call. I was hoping I can say something like “call John at work” to have it automatically call the work number without me taking my eyes off the road to scroll thru the screen to pick the number. I tried several different ways of saying it but nothing works. Anyone know how or is it even possible?


----------



## 3V Pilot (Sep 15, 2017)

Not possible yet, but only a firmware update away like everything else one everyone's wish list. It just all depends on when Tesla gets around to that as the next priority.


----------



## jsmay311 (Oct 2, 2017)

Example #692 of basic things/features/capabilities that should've been included from Day 1 if only Tesla's new product development wasn't run like a KickStarter campaign.


----------



## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

jsmay311 said:


> Example #692 of basic things/features/capabilities that should've been included from Day 1 if only Tesla's new product development wasn't run like a KickStarter campaign.


nobody forced you to be part of this 'kickstarter'. 
would you rather buy a car that is 100% the way it is the day you pick it up and never improves, or one that is 99% and improves on a monthly basis thru its life?


----------



## TrevP (Oct 20, 2015)

When I use the voice dialer I say "call Beverley at work" and it works just fine. Try specifying the phone type in your contacts but you have to tag them correctly


----------



## mrb (Aug 25, 2018)

3V Pilot said:


> Not possible yet, but only a firmware update away like everything else one everyone's wish list. It just all depends on when Tesla gets around to that as the next priority.


Thanks. Glad it wasn't just me.


----------



## mrb (Aug 25, 2018)

TrevP said:


> When I use the voice dialer I say "call Beverley at work" and it works just fine. Try specifying the phone type in your contacts but you have to tag them correctly


What type of phone do you use? I am on an iPhone X and do set the phone type to be mobile or work.


----------



## SoCalWine (Oct 1, 2018)

TrevP said:


> When I use the voice dialer I say "call Beverley at work" and it works just fine. Try specifying the phone type in your contacts but you have to tag them correctly


Does not work that way for me. (Samsung Galaxy 8)


----------



## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

I've also noticed that if one of my contacts is a business (only a company name - no individual's name), then the Tesla won't be able to find that contact.
This is with an Android phone.


----------



## jsmay311 (Oct 2, 2017)

MelindaV said:


> nobody forced you to be part of this 'kickstarter'.
> 
> would you rather buy a car that is 100% the way it is the day you pick it up and never improves, or one that is 99% and improves on a monthly basis thru its life?


I'd gladly take that 99% option. Which car company is that? 

Serously tho... yours is a perfectly reasonable way to look at things. But it's also undeniably true that Tesla rushes unfinished and under-validated products to market. And while OTA software updates absolutely provides significant benefits to owners, it also provides Tesla with a crutch that permits them to to be sloppy, and they lean *WAY* too heavily on that crutch IMO.

Seems to me the obvious answer is that it shouldn't be an either/or. Tesla could have product development processes that don't suck _*AND*_ still have OTA updates for future improvements.

I'm probably more critical of these design deficiencies than the average owner since I work as a design engineer. Even on this one admittedly small issue, there are so many simple ways that I can think of off the top of my head that would require very little additional R&D that could have made the UI better _that still fall short of the ideal solution being discussed_. It's as if little-to-no thought was given to this function at all.
It's thoughtless/lazy design like this that drives me crazy -- both as a customer and as someone wanting Tesla to succeed.


----------



## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

jsmay311 said:


> It's as if little-to-no thought was given to this function at all.
> It's thoughtless/lazy design like this that drives me crazy -- both as a customer and as someone wanting Tesla to succeed.


I don't see it as a result of thoughtless/lazy design as much as it is probably that limited resources and developers were allocated to the job. Contrast that to Ford where there would be three levels of management above a large team of developers and it wouldn't be released until it passed muster with all members of the top-heavy management. Tesla can afford to thow it out there "on the cheap" and fix it up in the next few updates because they have OTA updates.

How else do you think they've avoided the "certain" bankruptcy the sell-side analysts have been predicting for years now? I'm just glad that the software that actually runs the throttle, brakes, steering, airbags and electronic traction/stability aids seems rock solid! It's like the Rock of Gibraltar! Just jump in and go! I can count on it to work.


----------



## fmcotton (Feb 5, 2017)

TrevP said:


> When I use the voice dialer I say "call Beverley at work" and it works just fine. Try specifying the phone type in your contacts but you have to tag them correctly


What type of phone do you have. This doesn't work for me on my iPhone even though I have everyone's numbers already tagged as iPhone, mobile, home, or work.


----------



## SR22pilot (Aug 16, 2018)

At least now you don’t have to hold down the button until done talking like the old Model S days.


----------



## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

fmcotton said:


> What type of phone do you have. This doesn't work for me on my iPhone even though I have everyone's numbers already tagged as iPhone, mobile, home, or work.


It hasn't worked on my Android phone either.
I'm pretty sure that Trev uses an iphone though.


----------



## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

just tested this out from my iPhone X, asking it to call a contact at home (work, mobile, etc), it will bring up that contact on the screen with the various contact numbers and you will need to pick the correct one. Same as if if fines multiple contacts with the same name - you will need to pick the correct one on the screen.


----------



## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

MelindaV said:


> just tested this out from my iPhone X, asking it to call a contact at home (work, mobile, etc), it will bring up that contact on the screen with the various contact numbers and you will need to pick the correct one. Same as if if fines multiple contacts with the same name - you will need to pick the correct one on the screen.


Yep, that's the behavior I see as well.


----------



## tivoboy (Mar 24, 2017)

Yeah, on an iphone you're better off just saying "hey sire, call xyz mobile".. the car will do the rest.


----------



## SR22pilot (Aug 16, 2018)

tivoboy said:


> Yeah, on an iphone you're better off just saying "hey sire, call xyz mobile".. the car will do the rest.


That's if your phone hears you. I have yet to make that work on my iPhone 7+. I keep it in a case on my belt so that may be the problem.


----------



## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

SR22pilot said:


> That's if your phone hears you. I have yet to make that work on my iPhone 7+. I keep it in a case on my belt so that may be the problem.


If it is connected by the Bluetooth audio, pressing the right steering wheel button and giving it a Siri command will go they the cars mic and work. It doesn't depend on your phone hearing you.


----------



## SR22pilot (Aug 16, 2018)

MelindaV said:


> If it is connected by the Bluetooth audio, pressing the right steering wheel button and giving it a Siri command will go they the cars mic and work. It doesn't depend on your phone hearing you.


I've tried that but without success. Do I have to be playing audio from the phone? Do I have to say a command like "DIAL" so the Tesla activates the connection to the phone?


----------



## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

SR22pilot said:


> I've tried that but without success. Do I have to be playing audio from the phone? Do I have to say a command like "DIAL" so the Tesla activates the connection to the phone?


press the steering wheel button and say "hey siri, call bob's cell" (or whatever other siri commands).
here's an example video using siri via the steering wheel button


----------



## SR22pilot (Aug 16, 2018)

MelindaV said:


> press the steering wheel button and say "hey siri, call bob's cell" (or whatever other siri commands).
> here's an example video using siri via the steering wheel button


Thanks. I have a question as I try to figure things out. Do you wear an Apple Watch? I do. I am wondering if Siri on the watch trumps Siri on the phone.


----------



## FRC (Aug 4, 2018)

I don't use the scroll wheel button to talk to Siri. I just say "hey Siri" and she answers through the car's audio system.


----------



## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

SR22pilot said:


> Thanks. I have a question as I try to figure things out. Do you wear an Apple Watch? I do. I am wondering if Siri on the watch trumps Siri on the phone.


I do, but it has to be raised to be listening for 'hey siri'


----------



## babula (Aug 26, 2018)

garsh said:


> It hasn't worked on my Android phone either.
> I'm pretty sure that Trev uses an iphone though.


I gave this a shot today and it works perfectly for me, I have a Pixel XL 2.

Tried a few different contacts and it seems to pick all of them up, "Call Person" -> little progress bar shows up -> call begins.


----------



## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

babula said:


> I gave this a shot today and it works perfectly for me, I have a Pixel XL 2.
> 
> Tried a few different contacts and it seems to pick all of them up, "Call Person" -> little progress bar shows up -> call begins.


We were specifically talking about contacts with multiple phone numbers.
You can't say "call John on Mobile" or "call John at Home".
If you say "call John", then it brings up a list of that person's numbers on the screen so you can pick one.


----------



## Doug Joubert (Jul 14, 2018)

MelindaV said:


> press the steering wheel button and say "hey siri, call bob's cell" (or whatever other siri commands).
> here's an example video using siri via the steering wheel button


@MelindaV Does the audio have to be set to your phone instead of "Streaming" or "Tune In" for this to work, or does it automagically switch to your phone when you talk to Siri? I have an Android and hope this will work by saying "Ok, Google"...


----------



## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

Doug Joubert said:


> @MelindaV Does the audio have to be set to your phone instead of "Streaming" or "Tune In" for this to work, or does it automagically switch to your phone when you talk to Siri? I have an Android and hope this will work by saying "Ok, Google"...


no, it works no matter what you have the audio set to. give the 'Ok Google' a try and let us know if it works similarly as apple


----------

