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How to recognize sounds using iPhone

With Sound Recognition, your iPhone can continuously listen for certain sounds, such as a doorbell, siren, or crying baby, and notify you when it recognizes these sounds.

You can choose the sounds you want iPhone to recognize, and add your own, like a custom alarm, appliance, or doorbell, with a name you enter. Don’t rely on Sound Recognition in high-risk or emergency situations, or for navigation, though.

Here’s how to recognize sounds using iPhone.

Note: Don’t rely on your iPhone to recognize sounds in circumstances where you may be harmed or injured, in high-risk or emergency situations, or for navigation.

Set up Sound Recognition

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Accessibility, tap Sound & Name Recognition, tap Sound Recognition, and turn on Sound Recognition.

    Note: After you turn on Sound Recognition, you may need to wait for iPhone to download the available sounds to your device.

  3. Tap Sounds and turn on the sounds you want iPhone to recognize.

Quick tip: Add Sound Recognition to Control Center to turn it on or off quickly.

Add a custom alarm, appliance, or doorbell

If iPhone doesn’t recognize a custom alarm, appliance, or doorbell automatically, you can set it up to recognize them.

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Accessibility, tap Sound & Name Recognition and tap Sound Recognition. Tap Sounds.
  3. Tap Custom Alarm or Custom Appliance or Doorbell and enter a name.
  4. When your alarm, appliance, or doorbell is ready, place iPhone near the sound and minimize background noise.
  5. Tap Start Listening, then follow the onscreen instructions.