Sound recognition: The hidden iPhone and Airpods feature everyone needs to know about

The hidden iPhone and Airpods feature everyone needs to know about

By Shania Obrien For Daily Mail Australia

Apple iPhone and iPad users have access to a special ‘hidden feature’ that can recognise emergencies happening around them.

‘Sound Recognition’ can discern several important sounds – such as fire alarms, ambulances, smoke alarms, sirens, dogs barking, and more.

Easily toggled in the Settings app, your iPhone or iPad can listen out for certain sounds and notify you when it recognises them.

The feature is especially useful for those with hearing disabilities and auditory processing disorders as it keeps tabs on their surroundings.

Starting from iOS 16, users can add custom alarms, appliance sounds, and door bells to your device.

Apple AirPods users have access to a special ‘hidden feature’ that can recognise emergencies happening around them

The special feature is also convenient for able-bodied people who simply want to listen to their music loud or have zoned out of their surroundings.

AirPods users whose devices support noise cancellation can greatly benefit from the facet.

Sound Recognition is available on devices that use iOS 14 and higher.

In order to turn the feature on, you first have to go to the Settings app.

Sound Recognition is buried within the Accessibility centre’s ‘Hearing’ section.

Once you enable the feature, you can tap on the Sounds menu to customise the specific sounds you want to receive alerts for.

After Sound Recognition is set up, you will no longer have to worry about missing your dog barking or kitchen appliances beeping.

You can also add in special sounds by recording them on your device.

The iPhone will need to listen to your custom sound five times in order to ‘learn’ it.

Users can also tap the shortcut in the Control Centre to disable the notifications to suit their convenience.

Once you enable the feature, you can tap on the Sounds menu to customise the specific sounds you want to receive alerts for

Go to ‘Settings’
Scroll down and tap ‘Accessibility’
Scroll down and tap ‘Sound Recognition’ and turn it on
Go to the ‘Sounds’ subsection to choose which sounds you’d like your device to listen for
Your device will now send you a notification whenever it detects your chosen sounds
You can access ‘Sound Recognition’ by adding it to your Control Centre

Note: Siri is not available when Sound Recognition is on.

‘Sound Recognition’ can discern several important sounds – such as fire alarms, ambulances, smoke alarms, sirens, dogs barking, and more

Many were overjoyed by Sound Recognition’s practicality.

‘I cannot hear that well and I love this feature,’ one man said. ‘It’s very handy especially because I live alone.’

‘I only found out about this because of my friend who’s deaf – he uses this on his watch so he can detect his kid crying. Thanks Apple!’

‘This helps a lot when I have my earphones in.’