Apple’s newest smartwatches can process ambient sounds, summarize recent audio and take notes on conversations. The features are optional, but owners should know how they work before Sept. 18, when the watches become available.
What the New Audio Features Do
Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 on Sept. 9. Both include Audio Intelligence features that can recognize sounds and music, identify alarms, sirens and doorbells, and name songs playing nearby.
Live Rewind lets a user tap the watch to summarize the last 15 seconds of audio it detected. When Live Rewind is activated, the watch plays a chime and shows a microphone animation, according to Apple Support.
Siri Recap takes notes throughout the day and creates AI-generated summaries of conversations. Apple Support says those summaries automatically delete after seven days.
How to Turn Off Audio Intelligence
All Audio Intelligence features are opt-in, according to Apple Support, so they are not automatically enabled. To manage them, open the Watch app on your iPhone and adjust the Audio Intelligence settings.
How the Watch Handles Audio
Apple Support says the features do not create audio recordings. Audio flows into a protected buffer inside the S11 chip’s Secure Exclave, which processes data separately from the rest of the device. Apple says the data is never stored or accessible to the operating system, other apps, the user or Apple.
Users who enable iCloud with two-factor authentication may save and sync Siri Recaps and Live Rewind text across devices with end-to-end encryption. Only the user can access the data on devices signed in to the iCloud account.
Why the Features Raise Privacy Questions
Some users have questioned whether wearable devices should listen for sounds throughout the day. The concerns follow backlash over Meta’s smart glasses, which can capture photos and video. Meta released an update that disables the glasses if the capture light is physically tampered with or destroyed.
Apple’s features are opt-in, and Live Rewind uses a chime and visual display to notify users and people nearby when it is activated. Apple declined to provide additional comment when contacted by USA TODAY on Sept. 16.
Compatible Devices
Audio Intelligence is supported on Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. Compatible iPhones listed by Apple Support include:
- iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 17, 17e, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max
- iPhone Air
- iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max
- iPhone Duo
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect. This article is for informational purposes and is not Apple technical support.
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