Apple Expanding Sound Recognition Feature to New HomePod and HomePod Mini With Software Update Later This Year

The second-generation HomePod introduced today will offer a Sound Recognition feature that allows the speaker to detect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm sounds and send a notification to the user's iPhone if either of those sounds are identified.

HomePod 2023 Gallery 1
Apple says Sound Recognition will be available on both the new HomePod and the existing HomePod mini in a software update that will be released "later this spring," meaning the update should be available by June at the latest. It's unclear if the feature will also be rolled out to the first-generation HomePod released in 2018.

Apple warns that the feature should not be relied upon "in circumstances where users may be harmed or injured," or in "high-risk or emergency situations."

Sound Recognition on HomePods will require Apple's updated Home app architecture, which is temporarily unavailable after some users experienced issues after installing the update. It's not clear when the update will be made available again.

Sound Recognition was first introduced on the iPhone in 2020 and can detect a wide variety of sounds on that device, including a doorbell, running water, a baby crying, a car horn, a door knock, a cat meowing or dog barking, and more. Apple's announcement does not mention if HomePods will also be able to detect these other sounds, or if the feature will be limited to smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on the speakers.

Related Roundups: HomePod, HomePod mini

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Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
27 months ago
Hopefully, there won't be any false alarms.

What about a Crash Detection feature?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
27 months ago
Now this would be a great addition. Lots of growth and potential.?



Attachment Image
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ELman Avatar
27 months ago
Siri must be talking to Alexa about her features.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anthogag Avatar
27 months ago
WiFi can be used to detect motion and map-out an area. Perhaps a worthy feature for HomePod Recognition.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macsplusmacs Avatar
27 months ago

What about a Crash Detection feature?
Like when my Robot vac crashes into half the stuff in my house in the most violent ways?

Lamp falls over.

Hey Siri.

:)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
guzhogi Avatar
27 months ago
Could be useful for people hard of hearing. Some home smoke alarms are too high pitched for my dad to hear
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)