iPhone (iOS) · Accessibility
Get Alerts When iPhone Detects Important Sounds
Sound Recognition uses on-device listening to identify sounds like alarms, doorbells, sirens, car horns, or a crying baby, and sends a notification when one is detected nearby.
How to open Sound Recognition
- Open Settings → Accessibility → Sound Recognition
- Toggle Sound Recognition on
- Tap Sounds to choose which categories to detect
- Enable individual sound types within each category
- Keep iPhone nearby and unmuted for reliable detection
What you should know
- Covers categories including Alarms, Animals, Household, and People (like a crying baby or shouting)
- Runs entirely on-device for privacy—audio isn't sent to Apple
- Notifications appear even when iPhone is locked or in another app
- Individual sound types can be toggled on or off within each category
Sound Recognition is a convenience aid and should not be relied on as the sole method of detecting safety-critical sounds like smoke alarms.
Why it matters
Sound Recognition gives Deaf and hard-of-hearing users, or anyone wearing headphones, visibility into important audio events happening around them that they might otherwise miss. Detecting a doorbell, smoke alarm, or crying baby without needing to hear it directly can meaningfully improve independence and safety at home. Because processing happens on-device, it works without an internet connection and keeps ambient audio private, which matters given the feature is effectively always listening for pattern matches.
Best practices
- Enable only the sound categories that are actually relevant to reduce notification noise
- Test each enabled sound type in its real environment to confirm reliable detection
- Pair with visual or haptic alert settings for a fuller multisensory notification
- Keep it off in very noisy environments where false positives are more likely
Common problems and fixes
- A sound isn't being detected reliably
- Move iPhone closer to the sound source and confirm the specific sound type is enabled
- Too many false alerts in noisy settings
- Disable the specific sound categories triggering false positives
- Notifications aren't appearing
- Check Settings > Notifications to ensure Sound Recognition alerts aren't being silenced by Focus
Tips and tricks
- Combine with Live Captions to get both a sound alert and a text description of speech nearby
- Enable Fire/Smoke Alarm detection in bedrooms as a supplemental (not primary) safety layer
Frequently asked questions
Does Sound Recognition record audio?
No, it analyzes sound patterns on-device in real time and doesn't save or transmit audio.
Does it drain battery quickly?
It has a modest battery impact since detection runs locally using efficient on-device models.
Can it recognize my own custom sounds?
No, it's limited to Apple's predefined sound categories, not custom user-trained sounds.
Related settings
- Accessibility SettingsAccessibility settings on iPhone include VoiceOver screen reading, Zoom magnification, Voice Control, and many vision, hearing, mobility, and cognitive features.
- NotificationsNotification settings let you control exactly how each app alerts you — as a banner, a sound, a badge, or grouped into a scheduled summary — so your Lock Screen and Notification Center reflect what actually deserves your attention.
- Captions & SubtitlesCaptions & Subtitles controls whether closed captions appear by default during video playback and lets you customize their font, size, color, opacity, and background style.
More Accessibility guides for iPhone (iOS)
- Language & RegionLanguage & Region controls which language iOS displays system-wide, plus region-specific formatting for calendars, number separators, measurement units, and temperature — separate settings that don't have to match each other.
- VoiceOverVoiceOver is iOS's gesture-based screen reader that describes aloud everything on screen — text, buttons, images — letting blind and low-vision users navigate the entire iPhone by touch and sound instead of sight.
- MagnifierMagnifier uses the iPhone's camera to magnify nearby text, objects, or your surroundings in real time, with added tools like Detection Mode for identifying people, doors, and objects for users with low vision.
- Voice ControlVoice Control lets you navigate and operate nearly all of iOS — opening apps, tapping buttons, dictating text, scrolling — entirely by speaking commands, built for users who can't or prefer not to use touch input.
- Switch ControlSwitch Control lets people operate iPhone using one or more adaptive switches, the screen, or a camera instead of direct touch, scanning through items on screen until the desired one is selected.
- AssistiveTouchAssistiveTouch places a customizable floating button on screen that opens a menu for performing gestures, hardware button actions, and multitasking without needing to touch the physical buttons or use multi-finger gestures.