Calling all Harry Potter nerds.
Harry Potter for many is like Marmite – you either love it or you hate it. I for one, can’t get enough of it.
It turns out that even Muggles like us can get in on the magic. Apple is the new Ollivanders and they’ve delivered a number of ways you can transform your iPhone into your very own magic wand.
Three of them are already built into Siri and ready to go, while the rest are just waiting to be programmed and tried out in your next spell lesson.
Before you get started, you’ll need to ensure that the Hey Siri function is enabled which you can find in your Settings, then your Siri and Search tab.
1) Lumos.
This is among the first of the spells we hear in Harry Potter and it’s a personal favourite. This spell will illuminate the tip of the wizard or witch’s wand.
So, where does your iPhone come into it? By saying Hey Siri, Lumos, your iPhone will automatically turn on your torch.
2) Nox.
Nox is the spell used to turn the light on the wand off – we see it when Harry’s uncle very nearly catches him reading under his duvet.
Like in the movies, saying Hey Siri, Nox, will disable the torch on your iPhone.
3) Accio.
Accio is the spell we all wish we could use in our day to day lives. In Harry Potter, it’s used to summon objects, which is something that would come in handy when we lose the remote or our keys.
You can say Hey Sir, Accio [App Name], and your iPhone will open that app automatically providing your mobile is unlocked. If it’s not unlocked, you’ll need to use your Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
Like we said, the above three are all programmed into Siri, but there are a couple of additional magic spells you can program Siri to understand.
4) Lumos Maxima.
We’ve discovered the power of Lumos, but Lumos Maxima takes things up a notch. Saying Hey Siri, Lumos Maxima, will produce even more light from your iPhone. This handy trick will turn on your torch and turn up your brightness.
1) Head to the Shortcuts app.
2) Tap the + icon in the top right corner.
3) Search for the Set Torch action.
4) Set it to turn On.
5) Turn the brightness slider up to full.
Make sure that you label this command ‘Lumos Maxima’ so that Siri recognises exactly what it is you’re asking for.
5) Silencio.
Again, this is a spell many of us crave in day to day life. When the kids don’t seem to want to sleep, the dog won’t stop barking or that car alarm at the end of the street just won’t stop ringing.
In Harry Potter, it makes something silent and it has the same effect on your iPhone. By saying Hey Siri, Silencio, your iPhone will turn on Do Not Disturb.
1) Head to the Shortcuts app.
2) Tap the + icon in the top right corner.
3) Search for the Set Focus icon.
4) Set it to turn on Do Not Disturb Mode until Turned Off.
Again, be sure to set the label of this shortcut to Silencio. This way you’ll have peace and quiet for as long as you need it.
6) Sonorus.
This is the exact opposite of the Silencio spell in Harry Potter. It works by making a sound louder, such as a person’s voice.
This is a handy shortcut to have on your iPhone when you’re on a call and need to max out the volume or listen to a song so loud you can’t hear your singing in the background.
1) Head to the Shortcuts app.
2) Tap the + icon in the top right corner.
3) Search for the Set Volume action.
4) Set it to 100%.
Set the label to Sonorus so Siri doesn’t get all confused. Enjoy louder phone calls, epic music and so much more.
Welcome to Hogwarts.
You may have been waiting for your Hogwarts letter in the post since you first watched Harry Potter and now, your time has come.
With these awesome Harry Potter spell Siri tricks, you’ll feel as magic as ever. Need a new iPhone to try this wizardry on? You’re in luck.
We’ve got unmissable low prices on the best from Apple, including the latest iPhone 13. We’ll even throw in free delivery by owl! OK, not by owl, but it’s still free.