It has been almost a decade since Siri was introduced, and during that time, there were limited voice options for the iPhone's digital assistant. However, with the introduction of iOS 14.5, that is changing.

The new version of Apple's iPhone software introduces a new pair of voices for American English options. The idea behind this change is to make Siri more inclusive with a voice that reflects the broad user base of Apple's mobile devices.

These new voice packs are the biggest change in how Apple's digital assistant sounds in the nearly eight years since American users first had the option to switch between male and female Siri voices in iOS 7 (Siri in the UK later in iOS 7.1 got this option).

The new Siri voice, first introduced in the iOS 14.5 beta, is now available to anyone with an iPhone that can run the update. (Like iOS 14, the iOS 14.5 update works on iPhone 6s and later - click here for instructions on how to download iOS 14.5.) And changing Siri's voice is as simple as going into Settings and tapping the most useful voice option; here's how to select Siri's new voice.

Once you have installed iOS 14.5, you can replace Siri's voice with just a few steps. Just keep in mind that this option is only for the American version of Siri, but expect Apple to add voice types for other English variations in the future.

1. Launch Settings and tap Siri and Search.

2. On the "Siri and Search" screen, select "Siri Voice".

3. Tap one of the four options in the Voice section and select your preferred accent. Voice 2 and Voice 3 are new in iOS 14.5. Voice 1 (male) and Voice 4 (female) are previous options.

4. Once a new voice is found, select it and wait for it to download. Once the download is complete, you can try out the new Siri voice in action.

You may not notice if you are upgrading to iOS 14.5 from an existing device, but the new version of Apple's phone software means the end of Siri's default being a female voice. Now, when you set up your iPhone, you are prompted to choose your preferred voice.

Siri's voice for Ireland, Italy, and Russia has been upgraded to neural text-to-speech for iOS 14.5; Apple also said Siri will expand group FaceTime support with the ability to initiate calls with multiple contacts has; you can also ask the assistant to initiate a FaceTime call with any group you have assembled in Messages.

In iOS 14.5, Siri can call emergency contacts. If you are using compatible Beats headphones or AirPods, a software update allows Siri to announce an incoming call.