There are many features on the iPhone that you might take for granted. However, Apple has always prioritized accessibility, ensuring that people with physical challenges can enjoy the iPhone experience just like everyone else. One of the best accessibility features anyone can use is sound recognition, and it’s something you might find incredibly useful.
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Voice Recognition on iPhone (Apple) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutson)
Understanding voice recognition
The idea behind sound recognition is to allow your iPhone to listen for sounds you can’t hear when you’re hearing impaired and alert you when those sounds are recognized. As Apple describes it, “Sound recognition uses on-device intelligence to notify users who might otherwise miss audible environmental alerts around them.”
When voice recognition is enabled, your iPhone will send you a push notification to alert you of a detected event, even if you aren’t able to hear it. Despite being designed for the hard of hearing and hearing impaired, users without hearing problems can also take advantage of this feature.
It’s important to note that voice recognition runs entirely locally on your iPhone. When the AI detects a sound, it recognizes it right on your device – there’s no need to upload it to the internet. This means voice recognition works without an internet connection and keeps your alerts and voice recognition events completely private.
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Sounds that iPhone can recognize
As of iOS 16, iPhone sound recognition can identify the following types of sounds: fire alarms, sirens, smoke alarms, cats, dogs, appliances, car horns, doorbells, door knocks, glass breaking, kettle, water running, baby crying, coughing, and screaming.
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How to use voice recognition on iPhone
Voice recognition isn’t enabled by default, but it’s easy to turn it on. Keep in mind that you’ll need an iPhone running iOS 14 or later to use this feature. Here’s how to enable it to recognize door knocks:
- Open Adjustment Application
- Tap Accessibility
- Under the Hearing heading, tap Voice Recognition
Steps to use voice recognition on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutson)
- On the Voice Recognition screen, toggle the switch to Green (ON)Wait a while for the required sound files to download
- When the files have downloaded, tap Sound button
- On the Sound screen, tap Any sound You want your iPhone to recognize, e.g. the doorbell
Steps to use voice recognition on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutson)
- On that sound’s screen, toggle the switch Green (ON) next to the types of sounds you want to hear on your iPhone
Steps to use voice recognition on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutson)
After following these steps, your iPhone will constantly listen for the selected sounds and notify you when they are detected.
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alert
While Sound Recognition is a great feature, Apple warns against relying on it in situations where you could be injured or killed. As stated on their website, “Do not rely on your iPhone to recognize voices in situations where you could be harmed or injured, in high-risk or emergency situations, or for navigation.”
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Kurt’s main points
Apple’s commitment to accessibility is admirable, and the Voice Recognition feature is a prime example of how technology can be inclusive and empowering for all users. Designed with the hearing impaired in mind, Voice Recognition can be a useful tool for anyone who wants to be alert to important sounds in their environment. By following the simple steps outlined in this article, you can unlock the power of this innovative feature and experience the iPhone in a whole new way.
What potential benefits do you see in the iPhone’s Sound Recognition feature to improve daily life or provide additional security? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/contact,
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