How to use Sound Recognition on an iPhone

By Saadat Rafiq · 2 min read · 5 steps · Updated 5 October 2026

Device

iPhone

Shown on

iOS 27.0.1 (iPhone 14 Pro)

App

Settings

Path

Settings › Accessibility › Sound & Name Recognition

Real screenshots

4 of 5 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

1 official, linked below

Step by step

1. 

   Open Accessibility

   Open Settings and tap Accessibility.

   Done

2. 

   Tap Sound & Name Recognition

   Scroll down to the Hearing group on the Accessibility page.

   Done

3. 

   Tap Sound Recognition

   The first row. Ours showed Off.

   Done

4. Switch it on and pick the sounds

   Turn it on, then tap Sounds and switch on the ones you want to be alerted to.

   Done

5. 

   Read the warning

   The 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.

   Done

If you do not see this option

• Your iPhone may run a different version. The screenshots here show iOS 27.0.1 (iPhone 14 Pro). On another version a setting can have a different name or sit in a different place. See your version under Settings, General, About. Update under Settings, General, Software Update; back up first, plug in and use Wi-Fi. Source: Find the software version on your iPhone Source: Update your iPhone or iPad
• Search for it. Open Settings, tap the search field, type the name of the setting and tap the result. Apple notes that the sections in Settings depend on the iPhone model. Source: Find settings on iPhone
• It is greyed out. Screen Time restrictions can lock settings; Apple gives this as the reason when the Apple Account row is greyed out. Check Settings, Screen Time, Content & Privacy Restrictions. Source: If you can't sign out due to restrictions, or your Apple Account is grayed out in Settings

About this guide

Sound Recognition lets the iPhone listen for important sounds and alert you, which helps if you are deaf or hard of hearing, or wearing headphones. On iOS 27 it shares a page with Name Recognition.

The screenshots are our own, taken on an iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 27.0.1. Both were off on our phone and we left them off.

Good to know

Name Recognition, the second row on the same page, is a separate setting with its own switch.

In short: Settings, Accessibility, Sound & Name Recognition, Sound Recognition on, choose sounds.