Cell Phone ZoneUsing the sound recognition accessibility feature in iOS 14

Home / General / Using the sound recognition accessibility feature in iOS 14
iOS Feature

Using the sound recognition accessibility feature in iOS 14

July 17, 2020

In June 2020, Apple announced that it will be adding an interesting feature to the iPhone that allows people with hearing disabilities to be alerted when a certain sound is detected. This can also be a handy tool to use when listening to music or podcasts while using earbuds or earphones.

The update launch is still not set in stone, but is expected to happen sometime in September 2020. When it is available, you’ll be able to access the feature by going to “Settings,” then scrolling down to “Accessibility.” After clicking “Accessibility,” scroll down to “Sound Recognition” under the “Hearing” heading. When you toggle “Sound Recognition” to “On,” it will take a few minutes to download the feature which will also eat up 5.5MB of on-device storage.

When fully loaded, tap the “Sounds” toggle to find a menu of items to choose from. You’ll be able to toggle on and off the following:

-General sounds

  1. Fire
  2. Siren
  3. Smoke (smoke detector)

-Animals sounds

  1. Cat
  2. Dog

-Household sounds:

  1. Appliances
  2. Car Horn
  3. Doorbell
  4. Door Knock
  5. Water Running

-People sounds:

  1. Baby Crying
  2. Shouting

Once the feature is enabled, your iPhone and/or iPad will continuously scan for the sounds that you have chosen and will alert you with a text message if one (or more) of those sounds has been detected. As a word of caution, Apple notes that “Sound recognition should not be relied upon in circumstances where you may be harmed or injured, in high-risk or emergency situations, or for navigation.”

To add the new feature to your Control Center, go back to “Settings,” tap “Control Center,” and under the “More Controls” heading, tap the green plus sign next to “Sound Recognition.” This will allow you to access Sound Recognition more rapidly by swiping up from the bottom of your iPhone or iPad screen.

If you have any trouble with the update once it has launched, stop by any convenient Cell Phone Zone location for help. Don’t forget we’re also here to assist you with any other iPhone repairing services you may need, from damaged screens and dead batteries to electronic diagnostics and button repair. We’re your local one-stop-shop for iPhone repair.

Tags: Cell Phone, Smart Phone Repair