Apple is rolling out "Audio Intelligence" features in beta today for Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 users. The features arrive with iOS 27.3.
Audio Intelligence includes Sound Recognition, which alerts you to important sounds like alarms and doorbells, and Music Recognition, which identifies songs playing nearby. Two more controversial features, Live Rewind and Siri Recap, passively listen to conversations throughout the day. Live Rewind provides a loose transcript of the last 15 seconds of overheard conversation when you double-click your watch's crown. Siri Recap shows summaries of all in-person conversations throughout the day, with an option to set a schedule for when the watch listens, such as during work hours only.
Apple states that Audio Intelligence preserves privacy. The watch never actually records audio. Instead, it processes an audio stream through the Secure Enclave, a part of the S11 chip that even watchOS cannot access, before sending it to your iPhone's Secure Enclave for further processing. Apple says speakers are never identified, and both Siri Recap and Live Rewind data are automatically deleted unless you save results to the Siri app.
To access the beta, you need an Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4. Enroll in the Apple Developer program, which no longer requires a $99 fee if you choose a free account. Open your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates, and select "iOS 27 Developer Beta." Follow on-screen instructions to download and install iOS 27.3 when available.