Smart home alarm systems are all the rage, but they’re also very expensive. A relatively simply setup can cost hundreds of dollars, with things like glass-break and leak sensors driving process up. Or you can use this iPhone trick.
Scroll a bit down in the Accessibility tab in Settings, you’ll find a tab for Sound Recognition. Switch it on and your iPhone will listen for over a dozen sounds using on-device intelligence and “notify you when sounds may be recognized.” Sounds are organized by category and include many common sounds:
Alarms: Fire, Siren, Smoke
Animals: Cat, Dog
Household: Appliances, Car Horn, Door Bell, Door Knock, Glass Breaking, Kettle, Water Running
People: Baby Crying, Coughing, Shouting
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You can select as many as the sounds as you like, and it’s all very automatic. When your iPhone is within range of one of the sounds, you’ll get a notification and an alert tone and vibration to let you know. I’ve tested it for a few of them and it works impressively well. I got notifications for water running from several rooms away and a door bell. I haven’t tested glass breaking but it’s definitely the most intriguing, as most of the alarm glass-break sensors I’ve had are very hit-or-miss.
It’s meant as an aid for people with hearing issues, and it obviously won’t (and shouldn’t) replace a home monitoring or smart alarm system, but it’ll work in a pinch if you want a little extra peace of mind without buying or setting up any equipment in your home. Getting a timely alert could help you call the authorities or fix a leak before it becomes a problem.
