Apple has introduced an all-new accessibility feature in iOS 14 called Sound Recognition. This feature allows your iPhone to listen and identify different sounds, such as doorbells, car horns, dogs, cats, door knocks, etc. This is primarily meant for people who are hearing-impaired or deaf, but it can have other uses as well. You can set up your device to listen to certain sounds and alert you through a notification of what it has heard. Thus, you can set up alerts for specific sounds that you want to be notified about.
Set up Sound Recognition on Your iPhone
The Sound Recognition alert feature is only present in iOS 14 or later, so make sure your device is updated to the latest version. One important thing to note is that you will not be able to use the “Hey Siri” feature with Sound Recognition enabled. You can only use one or the other.
1. Open up the Settings app on your device.
2. In the Settings menu, scroll down and tap on “Accessibility.”
3. In the Accessibility menu, scroll down to the “Hearing” category and tap on “Sound Recognition” to proceed further.
4. Turn the toggle to the On position. Tap on the Sounds menu.
5. Use the toggle to enable the specific sounds you want for Sound Recognition.
If Siri is enabled on your device, you’ll be warned that “Hey Siri” will be disabled as long as this feature is enabled. Choose “Turn On Sound Recognition” and continue selecting the sounds you need.
That’s it. With the specific sounds enabled, you’ll get alerted whenever your phone recognizes the selected sounds. All the listening and sound recognition happens on your device, so it will work even without Internet connectivity. This is an advantage if you’re concerned about privacy issues.
Notifications for Sound Recognition will appear like normal notifications. This will be either on the lock screen, home screen or top of your screen as a banner.
It is important to note that you should not rely on this feature in emergencies, high-risk situations or for navigation. Apple has warned users regarding this, asking them not to rely on Sound Recognition in situations where they may be injured or harmed.
iOS 14 also comes with many other features, such as the Translate app and dynamic widgets on your homescreen.
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