In context: With iOS, Apple improved Siri functionality so that you can launch apps with your voice. It also introduced SiriKit --- a set of APIs that developers can use to integrate Siri into their apps. It appears Spotify will be one of the first to give its app voice controls.

"Hey Siri. Play [insert artist] on Spotify."

"I'm sorry. I can't do that."

It's a frustrating exchange that many of us have had with our iPhones, but Siri's inability to launch and use apps was extinguished with iOS 13. Siri can now launch any installed app. However, controlling those programs with your voice is another ball of wax.

While you can now launch Spotify using Apple's voice assistant, you still can't ask it to play songs, but that is about to change. With the new SiriKit audio APIs in iOS 13, developers can now integrate Siri into their apps in a more functional manner. Spotify looks to be the first to utilize these new tools.

Tom Warren from The Verge was the first to spot the new feature and tweeted a video of it in action.

Unfortunately, you cannot request songs via your Apple Watch. Since the watchOS version of the Spotify app is really only a controller for the iPhone app, it does not have Siri integration. Spotify would have to develop a dedicated player for the watch.

It does work using Apple AirPods though, which makes sense considering the earbuds work more or less as a second mic for the phone. However, it seems strange that watchOS cannot pass along Siri commands to the iPhone through the Spotify controller. It is probably because the Apple Watch's integrated Siri looks to only control apps on the watch rather than phone.

The feature is currently only available in the Spotify beta. It should be rolling out in the coming weeks if testing goes well.

Image credit: David MG via Shutterstock