How to set alerts for different sounds around you on iPhone

Apple added Sound Recognition to iOS 14 as a broader initiative aimed at making its iPhone a useful device in terms of accessibility. Sound Recognition is meant to alert individuals who are deaf or heard of hearing to important situations they might not be aware of. For example, their pet trying to get their attention or a door knocking.

With Sound Recognition, you can have your iPhone listen out for specific sounds, the most important ones being fire alarms, sirens, and smoke alarms. The feature is also capable of detecting the sound of appliances, running water, a car horn, etc. It does this with onboard intelligence, so no network connection is required.

Though setting alerts for different sounds is meant for use as an accessibility feature, it can still be beneficial for normal hearing users as well in situations where they are not able to hear, such as listening to music with earphones. Here is a simple guide on how to set alerts for different sounds around you on iPhone.

How to set alerts for different sounds around you on iPhone

Learn how to set alerts for different sounds around you on iPhone

Here’s how to set alerts for different sounds on iPhone in a few simple steps.

  1. Launch the Settings app and head to Accessibility.How to set alerts for different sounds around you on iPhone
  2. Navigate to the Hearing section and tap Sound Recognition.How to set alerts for different sounds around you on iPhone
  3. Tap the toggle to enable it, then tap Sounds. How to set alerts for different sounds around you on iPhone
  4. Choose the type(s) of sounds you would like your iPhone to recognize. You will then get a pop-up letting you know turning Sound Recognition on will disable Siri.How to set alerts for different sounds around you on iPhone
  5. Tap the switch beside each sound you would like for your iPhone to recognize. You can choose to activate any combination of them, or you can choose to activate them all. Here are the sounds you can choose from:
  • Fire (alarms)
  • Siren (alarms)
  • Smoke (alarms)
  • Cat (animals)
  • Dog (animals)
  • Appliances (household)
  • Car Horn (household)
  • Door Bell (household)
  • Door Knock (household)
  • Water Running (household)
  • Baby Crying (people)

When triggered, Sound Recognition will place an alert at the top of your screen. Later, you can see a list of these alerts in your iPhone’s Notification Center.

How to set alerts for different sounds around you on iPhone

We hope this guide helped you learn how to set alerts for different sounds around you on iPhone. If you have any questions, let us know in the comments below.

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About the Author

Asma is an editor at iThinkDifferent with a strong focus on social media, Apple news, streaming services, guides, mobile gaming, app reviews, and more. When not blogging, Asma loves to play with her cat, draw, and binge on Netflix shows.