It's easy to scare people into thinking something new, and oftentimes frustrating, is also dangerous. A recent study from Baylor University warns about the dangers of "phubbing," or "partner phone snubbing"—that is, checking your phone and ignoring your partner.

While it's easy to see how the addictive qualities of a smartphone can cause some to take their spouse's company for granted, we decided to ask a different question about our smartphones—and Apple iPhones in particular (although some of these tips can work on Android devices as well).

"Hey Siri, can you help my marriage?" Yes! Here are eight ways the iPhone's intelligent personal assistant can help you and your spouse have a happier marriage.

"Hey Siri, remind me to grab flowers when I leave work." Siri will set a reminder that will alert you to your request once you leave work. It does this by first confirming your work address and then using the phone's GPS to know when you're walking out the door.

Bonus Tip: You can also ask Siri for flower shop information.

"Hey Siri, flip a coin." Have you and your spouse ever been undecided about a movie to watch or what type of food you want to order on a stay-at-home Friday night? Don't let that indecisiveness devolve into a a gripe, just ask Siri to flip a coin for you.

Bonus Tip: If you need more than two options, you can also ask Siri to "roll a die."



"Hey Siri, play my "'Date Night Mix.'" This tip admittedly requires a little more effort on your part, but offers a smooth, automated take on a 2015 mix tape. To get started you'll need to create a playlist called "Date Night Mix" or whatever else name you prefer in the Music app. Then, when the timing is right and you're ready to hear the soulful voice of Marvin Gaye, give Siri the command.

"Hey Siri, text my wife." We know you never text and drive because that would be irresponsible and dangerous. So if you're driving home and running late, but don't want to get stuck on the phone, you can ask Siri to text for you. When you make reference to your wife the first time to Siri, it will need to confirm whom you're speaking about. After that, you can get Siri to take action by this title. You can identify other family members too for this shortcut.

Bonus Tip: You can, of course, ask Siri to "call my wife."

"Hey Siri, what movies are playing tonight?" Your spouse is in the mood for a movie and you want to know what's playing and when the movie starts. Just ask Siri. Even better, you can ask for showtimes for specific theaters in your area. Not only will you get the movies times, but you can dig into additional information, such as the Rotten Tomato rating and who stars in it.



"Hey Siri, get me a table." Don't forget the dinner to go with that movie. Siri uses OpenTable, an online real-time restaurant-reservation service, to secure your seat at your local restaurant. Just ask it to find a table for two at the restaurant name or gamble a little and just mention your city. Siri will then give you the options available and help you book the reservation.

"Hey Siri, when's my wife's birthday?" Never again are you allowed to say you forgot a major event. Not only can you put this information in your calendar and set an alarm to remind you, but you can also input this information into the contact card for your spouse and Siri can keep track when you ask it.

Bonus Tip: Set your anniversary reminder in the calendar app and Siri can look that up for you too—in fact, Siri can look up any date you put into the calendar.

"Hey Siri, Play Hitched Podcast." Ok, so this is a bit self-serving, but listening to the Hitched Podcast is an easy way to digest weekly marriage information, tips and skills advice. So long as you're subscribed to the podcast on iTunes—just search "Hitched Podcast" and click the subscribe button—Siri will begin playing the latest episode for you.