From TechCrunch · Sarah Perez · · 1m 50s
Apple Watch AI Features Start Beta Testing
Apple Watch's Live Rewind and Siri Recaps features begin beta testing for iOS 27.3.
In brief
Apple Watch's Live Rewind and Siri Recaps features begin beta testing for iOS 27.3. Apple Watch Series 12 users can now beta test AI features that rewind conversations and summarize key points without recording raw audio. Originally reported by TechCrunch.
Apple Watch AI Features Begin Beta Testing
Apple’s AI-powered Audio Intelligence technology for the Apple Watch starts beta testing in iOS 27.3 update after September announcement.
“The technology includes a set of four opt-in AI features that allow Apple Watch Series 12 wearers to detect important sounds, identify songs, catch up on conversations, and take notes.”
Sound Recognition for Deaf Users
The sound recognition feature helps deaf and hard-of-hearing users identify important sounds like sirens, alarms, or doorbells.
“The sound recognition feature will help deaf and hard-of-hearing users identify important sounds like sirens, alarms, or doorbells from their watch.”
Song Recognition via Shazam
Song recognition uses Apple’s Shazam app to detect background music and identify song names and artists.
“The song recognition feature taps into Apple’s Shazam app to detect music playing in the background and identify the song name and artist.”
Live Rewind Feature
Double-pressing the digital crown shows the last 15 seconds of conversation as a text snippet on the watch face.
“If someone was giving you verbal directions or reading a long list of specials at a restaurant, you could double-press on the Watch’s digital crown to see what was said in the last 15 seconds as a text snippet displayed on the watch face.”
Live Rewind Snippets
Text snippets from Live Rewind disappear after 30 seconds if not saved to Siri.
“These snippets will be deleted automatically after :30 seconds if you don’t save them.”
Siri Recaps Feature
Siri Recaps summarizes conversations with bullet points of key information without identifying speakers or saving raw audio.
“Importantly, Apple says it’s not identifying speakers, saving the raw audio, or providing word-for-word transcriptions.”
Siri Recaps Use Cases
Siri Recaps helps users remember tasks from work meetings, parent-teacher conferences, or personal training sessions.
“Apple suggested the feature could be used in scenarios like work meetings, parent-teacher conferences, personal training sessions, or other places where you may need to remember what tasks you have to complete.”
Siri Recaps Privacy
Siri Recaps omits sensitive information like government identifiers, financial data, and self-harm language.
“Apple notes that Siri Recaps has been designed to omit sensitive information like government-assigned identifiers, financial and authentication data, certain personal identifiers, and any language that would promote self-harm.”
Siri Recaps Review
Users must review saved Siri Recaps to choose which notes to save to Notes or Journal apps.
“At the end of the day, you’re prompted to review your saved Siri Recaps when the feature is enabled, and then choose which, if any, you want to save.”
Siri Recaps Deletion
Siri Recaps delete themselves within seven days if not saved to Notes or Journal.
“If you do nothing, the recaps will delete themselves within seven days.”
Siri Recaps Scheduling
Users can enable Siri Recaps manually or set schedules like only during work hours.
“Users can opt to enable the Siri Recaps manually, or they can configure a schedule, such as only having the recapping take place while at work.”
Audio Processing
Audio Intelligence uses Apple’s S11 chip, secure enclave, and Private Cloud Compute for on-device processing.
“The Audio Intelligence features for the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 rely on a combination of Apple’s hardware, software, and services.”
Feature Rollout Timeline
Apple’s AI features will roll out to public beta testing after initial developer beta for iOS 27.3.
“Apple says none of these features should impact the battery life of your watch or phone. The features will later roll out to the public beta for broader testing before becoming publicly available to all.”
Here's the gist
Apple Watch Series 12 users can now beta test AI features that rewind conversations and summarize key points without recording raw audio.
