After the recent WhatsApp update for iOS the messaging app now works with Siri. You can get Apple's voice assistant to read out your messages, reply to them and even send new ones to people in your WhatsApp contact lists. It can also be used to call people through WhatsApp using a data connection.

Setting it up is fairly uncomplicated, but there are caveats to the way it works. Here then is how to get Siri to read your WhatsApp messages and a few of things it can and can't do.

What do I need to use Siri with WhatsApp?

Siri will work with WhatsApp as long as you have at least iOS 10.3 and WhatsApp Messenger version 2.17.20, which was updated on Friday 21 April, installed on your iPhone.

You then need to allow Siri to access your WhatsApp data. This can be okayed by voice, by just saying "Hey Siri, read my last WhatsApp message".

The Siri page will return the following:

"I'll need to access your WhatsApp data to do this. WhatsApp says: 'This lets you use Siri to quickly send and read messages and make calls. Some of your WhatsApp data will be sent to Apple to process your requests. Is that OK?'"

Click on "Yes".

How do I get Siri to read my messages?

The next time you say "Hey Siri, read my last WhatsApp message" it will read it out aloud. In fact, it will read any messages you haven't already seen by opening the WhatsApp Messenger application.

After a message has been read, Siri will ask you if you want to reply, which you can by voice. You can also ask Siri to send a message to a WhatsApp contact or call them through the app.

What can't Siri do with WhatsApp?

There are a couple of caveats to Siri integration. For example, Siri cannot find messages you've already read in the app itself.

Also, if you get Siri to read a message to you it doesn't flag to the sender that it has been read. When you read a message in the app the sender gets two blue ticks to show you've seen it. They don't get that if Siri reads them aloud.

Still, it's a great way to keep up with WhatsApp when you don't have your hands-free, such as when driving.