Apple has detailed its new Audio Intelligence capabilities for the Watch in a support document, bringing together features that run on the watch’s own silicon and microphones while leveraging both on-device and cloud AI models. The initial lineup comprises four functions: Sound Recognition, Music Recognition (via Shazam), Live Rewind, and Siri Recap.
Sound Recognition alerts the wearer to loud noises like sirens and alarms, working as a standalone accessibility feature for people who are deaf or hard of hearing without needing the iPhone nearby. Music Detection uses Shazam to identify songs playing nearby and shows the title and artist in the Smart Stack without input. Double-pressing the Digital Crown triggers Live Rewind, which saves the last 15 seconds of speech as text for later reference or to immediately query Siri for context. Siri Recap runs continuously throughout the day, storing conversation summaries in the Siri app with auto-delete options ranging up to seven days. Users can save summaries permanently or export them to Notes, Journal, or other services.
Every Audio Intelligence feature is switched off by default. Live Rewind and Siri Recap include scheduling controls based on location or time, alongside manual toggles in Control Center. Sound Recognition is configured in iPhone’s Accessibility settings, and if enabled there it carries over to the paired Watch. Music Detection is found directly in the Watch’s Smart Stack settings. When synced through iCloud, Siri Recap and saved Live Rewind snippets are end-to-end encrypted, accessible only on the user’s own trusted devices.
Apple has not announced a specific watchOS version or release date for Audio Intelligence. According to 9to5Mac, watchOS 27.3 is expected as soon as next month (December 2026) and will deliver Audio Intelligence, Siri AI support for new app actions, and four new Siri AI languages. The story also says Siri Recap will require an Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4. Apple has not confirmed any of this. We covered Siri AI’s conversation memory in an earlier hands-on with watchOS 27.2.