Both gen HomePods and the HomePod Mini are in on the action
Apple’s HomePod and HomePod Mini smart speakers can now alert you if a smoke or CO2 alarm goes off at home while you’re away.
The Sound Recognition feature, first announced when the 2nd-gen HomePod was unveiled, listens for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms using the built-in microphones.
If it hears one, it will send an alert to your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. You’ll also see a banner in the Home app and, if you’ve got a HomeKit compatible smart security camera, you’ll also be able to tap into a live feed of what’s going down.
You could also set up a HomeKit automation based on this alert – think fans turning on/off, smart switches powering down and so on.
To set up Sound Recognition, open the Home app on your iPhone or iPad and tap on the name of your HomePod. Then, tap on the Settings tab and scroll down to Sound Recognition. Toggle on the switch for Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms.
By no means a brand new feature – Amazon’s Guard feature offers all of this and more – the new Home feature could potentially be a lifesaver if you’re ever away from home and a fire or carbon monoxide leak starts. By alerting you right away, Sound Recognition gives you the chance to take action and get home safely.
To make use of the new Sound Recognition feature you’ll need the latest 16.4 iOS version with the new Home Architecture. We’re told it works on both old and new HomePod generations, plus the Mini, of course.
