IPHONE
How to use Sound Recognition on an iPhone
In short
Open Settings, Accessibility, Sound & Name Recognition and tap Sound Recognition. Switch it on and choose the sounds you want to be alerted to. The iPhone then shows a notification when it hears one.
Sound Recognition keeps the iPhone listening for sounds like a doorbell, a siren or a baby crying, and tells you when it hears one. On iOS 27 it shares a page with Name Recognition.
5 of 5 steps show a real screenshot from our iPhone 17e.
Steps
- 1
Open Accessibility
Open Settings and tap Accessibility. On our iPhone 17e with iOS 27 it was just below General.
- 2
Tap Sound & Name Recognition
Scroll down to the Hearing group on the Accessibility page. On our iPhone 17e it was the third row there, below Hearing Devices and Hearing Control Centre.
- 3
Tap Sound Recognition
The first row, above Name Recognition. On our iPhone 17e with iOS 27 both showed Off.
- 4
Switch on Sound Recognition
Turn on the switch. A Sounds row then appears below it: tap it and switch on the sounds you want to be alerted to. On our iPhone 17e with iOS 27 the switch was off with 21.2 MB Required under it, and the Sounds list only appears once it is on.
- 5
Read the warning
The Sound & Name Recognition page says the iPhone listens continuously using on-device intelligence, and that it should not be relied on in high-risk situations or for navigation.
If you do not see this option
- No Sounds row On our iPhone 17e, with Sound Recognition off, the page showed only the switch with 21.2 MB Required under it. Apple says to turn Sound Recognition on, then tap Sounds. Source: Recognize sounds using iPhone
- The alarm, appliance or doorbell you want isn't listed Apple says you can add a custom one: tap Sounds, then Custom Alarm or Custom Appliance or Doorbell, enter a name, place the iPhone near the sound and tap Start Listening. Source: Recognize sounds using iPhone
If this does not work
- No alerts straight after switching it on Apple says that once you switch Sound Recognition on, the iPhone might need a little while to download the sounds. On our iPhone 17e the page said 21.2 MB Required.
- Nothing happens for one sound Check that this sound is switched on under Sounds. Apple says to switch on every sound you want picked up, and never to depend on it where you could get hurt, in an emergency or for finding your way.
- A custom doorbell is not recognised? Record it again in a quieter moment. Apple's steps say to place the iPhone near the sound and minimise background noise before you tap Start Listening.
- Want alerts while driving? CarPlay has its own Sound Recognition setting under Settings, Accessibility in CarPlay, for sounds such as car horns or sirens. Apple says it needs a supported iPhone model.
Good to know
Name Recognition, the second row on the same page, is a separate setting with its own switch.
The page warns that the iPhone listens continuously using on-device intelligence. You can turn Sound Recognition off again on the same page. Apple suggests adding Sound Recognition to Control Centre to switch it on and off quickly. If you also want to see alerts rather than hear them, see how to turn on flash for alerts on an iPhone.
About this guide
- Device
- iPhone
- Shown on
- iOS 27.0.1 (iPhone 17e)
- App
- Settings
- Path
- Settings › Accessibility › Sound & Name Recognition
- Real screenshots
- 5 of 5 steps
- Checked
- October 2026
- Sources
- 3 official, linked below
What changed: the screenshots are now our own iPhone 17e on iOS 27.0.1, dark mode, and the wording is checked against those screens and Apple's iOS 27 guide.
Sources
Links checked October 2026. Menus and features can change with updates.Did this guide work for you?
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