Phonetiq — Help Siri Understand Non-Latin Contact Names

Who It's For

Built for people who speak the world.

Phonetiq is for anyone whose contact list reflects a language Siri was never designed for — until now.

Native speakers of non-Latin scripts

Greek, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Georgian — keep your contacts in their authentic form while Siri finally keeps up.

Voice command users

If you rely on Siri for hands-free calling, messaging, or multitasking, Phonetiq makes sure it actually works with the names you use.

Multilingual households and professionals

Manage contacts across multiple languages with ease — from busy professionals to families who want their heritage reflected in their technology.

The Problem

Why does Siri struggle with non-Latin names?

Voice recognition was built for Latin scripts. For millions of people, that means Siri has always been broken.

Siri simply doesn't recognise them

Without phonetic hints, Siri fails to detect names like Костянтин (Ukrainian) or გიორგი (Georgian). You say the name, nothing happens.

The workaround breaks your culture

People resort to entering Kostas instead of Κώστας, or Masha instead of Маша. It works, but it erases something real.

Voice dialling becomes useless

If your contacts are in Cyrillic or Greek, Siri-based calling is essentially broken. Phonetiq revives it — no compromises, no Latin substitutions.

Key Benefits

Real-world benefits.

Phonetiq isn't just a fix — it's a game-changer for everyday scenarios where your voice needs to work.

Driving hands-free

Say a contact's name in your native language and Siri dials the right person — keeping you safe on the road.

Motorcyclists on the move

Use voice commands via Bluetooth helmets without stopping. Phonetiq makes it work for non-Latin names.

Accessibility

For those who rely on voice commands rather than screens, Phonetiq brings accurate name recognition to everyone.

Busy professionals

Multitask effortlessly — Phonetiq keeps your workflow smooth with reliable voice dialling, whatever language your contacts are in.

Emergency calls

In urgent situations, quickly call for help in your own language — no fumbling, no wrong contacts.

Multilingual homes

Manage contacts across languages with ease. Use clients' native names confidently, knowing Siri will understand.

What's New

What's new in version 1.9.0.

Siri now understands your non-Latin contact names — without changing your contacts — plus a refreshed design and a fully translated interface.

Siri understands your names

Phonetiq adds phonetic name fields so Siri can recognise contacts written in Greek, Cyrillic and Georgian when you say them out loud. It also fills Apple's pronunciation fields to help Siri say each name more naturally.

Redesigned for iOS 26

A refreshed interface adopts Apple's native Liquid Glass design on iOS 26, while keeping the familiar polished look on iOS 17 and 18.

Fully translated interface

The entire app is translated across nine languages — English, Greek, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Georgian, Belarusian and Serbian.

Compare

Phonetiq vs. editing contacts by hand

You can make Siri recognise a non-Latin name by romanising it manually — but that changes the contact and how it sorts. Phonetiq adds the hidden phonetic fields instead, across your whole address book, leaving the names themselves untouched.

Feature	Phonetiq	Editing by hand
Siri recognises non-Latin names	Adds phonetic fields	Only if you romanise the name
Keeps original spelling & sort order	✓	✗ romanising changes them
Scripts covered	8 (Greek, Cyrillic, Georgian)	One contact at a time
Fills Apple pronunciation fields	Automatic	Manual per contact
Processing	On-device · names only	Manual
Price	£1.99 one-time	—

FAQ

Common questions.

What languages does Phonetiq support?

Phonetiq handles contact names written in non-Latin scripts: Greek, the Cyrillic languages (Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian, Belarusian), and Georgian. The app's own interface is fully translated into nine languages.

Does Phonetiq change my contacts?

No. It only adds the phonetic hint fields Apple provides for Siri; your contact names and how they're sorted are unchanged.

How does it help Siri recognise my contacts?

iOS reads the phonetic name fields to guide Siri's speech recognition. When a contact has phonetic hints, Siri matches what you say against them instead of guessing from a non-Latin display name. Phonetiq fills these fields in automatically for non-Latin names. It also fills Apple's pronunciation fields so Siri can say the name more naturally — an aid that isn't always perfect.

Is my contact data safe?

Yes. All processing happens on-device using Apple's Contacts framework. No phone numbers, email addresses, or other personal data leave your device. Only names are processed to generate phonetic equivalents.

Do I need to run Phonetiq again after adding new contacts?

Yes. Phonetiq processes contacts at the time you run it. New contacts added later will need to be processed in a subsequent run.

Why does Phonetiq need full contact access?

iOS requires read and write access to the Contacts framework to add phonetic name fields. Phonetiq reads only names to generate phonetics and writes only to the phonetic fields — it does not access or modify phone numbers, emails, addresses, or any other contact data.

What is a phonetic name field?

Every iOS contact has two normally-blank fields — phonetic first name and phonetic last name — that iOS reads to guide how Siri pronounces and recognises a name. When they're empty, Siri guesses from the display name, which fails on non-Latin scripts. Phonetiq fills these fields in automatically so Siri has a pronunciation to work from.

Which of my contacts does Phonetiq change?

Only contacts whose names are written in a supported non-Latin script — Greek, Cyrillic, Georgian and others. Phonetiq adds a phonetic hint where Siri would otherwise mispronounce or fail to match the name, and leaves names already written in Latin script untouched.

Can I dial non-Latin-named contacts by voice after using Phonetiq?

Yes — that's the point. Once a contact has a phonetic hint, you can say "Call <name>" and Siri matches your spoken pronunciation to the phonetic field instead of failing on the original script. Voice dialling and "Hey Siri" commands work for names Siri previously couldn't read.

Phonetiq. Siri learns your language.