

You can also skip the Settings app altogether by using the Sound Recognition control in Control Center, which I explain in Step 4 below. If it's off, tap the toggle to switch Sound Recognition on. To set up Sound Recognition on iOS 16, head to Settings –> Accessibility –> Sound Recognition (in the Hearing section). Step 1: Enable Sound Recognition on Your iPhone And it's an absolute game changer if you have unique sounds such as special security alarms, a quirky doorbell chime, Alexa notifications on an Echo smart speaker, and so on. While the feature is built for deaf people and those hard of hearing, everyone should enable it when listening to audio via connected headphones, earbuds, earphones, or headsets. If you wear an Apple Watch, you'll even receive alerts there and not just on your iPhone. More importantly, it works when you're wearing headphones that would otherwise make it easy to miss important sounds in your vicinity. Your iPhone can detect these sounds and issue alerts for you when your iPhone is locked. And you can use it to help identify your baby crying in the next room or over a baby monitor, tell you when your oven timer is up, or let you know when your tea kettle is whistling.


It's also capable of detecting car horns, doorbells, and door knocks for when you have a special delivery you need to sign for, like a new MacBook or hot meal. When enabled, your iPhone can recognize a set of predefined sounds, including life-saving sirens, fire alarms, and smoke alarms. Two additional sounds were implemented on iOS 15, and iOS 16 opened up the possibilities with custom sound detection. It was introduced on iOS 14 with 13 recognizable sounds available, and it has only gotten better since. Sound Recognition, the feature in question, leverages Apple's Sound Analysis framework and on-device intelligence to listen for and identify specific sounds in your environment using your iPhone's default microphones. Why You Should Be Using Apple's Sound Recognition Don't Miss: Your iPhone Finally Has a Feature That Macs Have Had for Almost 40 Years.This crucial feature can do just that, and it's a must-have whenever listening to music, podcasts, movies, calls, and other audio with your wired or wireless headphones - especially noise-canceling ones. Imagine being able to identify crucial sounds even when you're not paying attention - sounds that could alert you to danger, help you take care of your loved ones, or simply make your life easier. A large number of iPhone users don't even know about it, especially since it's disabled by default and hidden deep in the system settings. There's an iOS feature that benefits many users, but it's absolutely vital if you wear AirPods or other headphones models connected to your iPhone.
