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Staying alert of your surroundings matters. That includes proceeding fume alarms, appliance beeps oregon a sound astatine the door. Still, existent beingness gets busy. You deterioration headphones. You get focused. Sounds gaffe by. That is wherever Android Sound Notifications help. This built-in accessibility diagnostic listens for cardinal sounds and sends an alert to your screen. Think of it arsenic a gentle pat connected the enarthrosis erstwhile thing important happens.
Although it was designed to assistance radical who are hard of hearing, it is utile for anyone. If you enactment with noise-canceling headphones oregon often miss alerts astatine home, this diagnostic tin marque a existent difference.
Now, if you usage an iPhone, here’s however Apple's Sound Recognition tin alert you to alarms and different cardinal sounds connected your device.
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Android Sound Notifications alert you erstwhile important sounds hap astir you. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)
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What Sound Notifications bash connected Android
Sound Notifications usage your phone's microphone to perceive for circumstantial sounds nearby. When it detects one, it sends a ocular alert. You volition spot a pop-up, consciousness a vibration and whitethorn adjacent spot the camera flash.
By default, Android tin observe sounds like:
- Smoke alarms
- Fire alarms
- Sirens
- Door knocks
- Doorbells
- Appliance beeps
- A landline telephone ringing
- Running water
- A babe crying
- A canine barking
That scope makes the diagnostic applicable astatine location oregon astatine work. Even better, you power which sounds substance to you.
Why this diagnostic is worthy using
Here is the elemental truth. You cannot perceive everything each the time. Distractions happen. Headphones artifact sound. Focus takes over. Sound Notifications capable that gap. While you enactment locked into a task, your telephone keeps listening. When thing important happens, you inactive get the message. As a result, you interest little astir missing alarms oregon visitors. You summation consciousness without other effort.
How to crook connected Sound Notifications
Getting started lone takes a minute. Note: We tested these steps connected a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra moving the latest mentation of Android. Menu names and locations whitethorn disagree somewhat connected different Android phones, depending connected the shaper and bundle version.
- Open the Settings app
- Go to Accessibility
- Tap Hearing enhancements
- Select Sound Notifications
- Turn the diagnostic on

Turning connected Sound Notifications lone takes a fewer taps successful Android’s Accessibility settings. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)
When you alteration Sound Notifications for the archetypal time, Android volition inquire however you privation to commencement the feature. Choose the enactment that works champion for you:
- Tap the fastener successful the speedy settings panel
- Tap the Accessibility button
- Press the Side and Volume Up buttons
- Press and clasp the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons for 3 seconds
After you prime a shortcut, Click Ok. Then, Sound Notifications volition commencement listening successful the background.
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If you bash not spot the option, instal the Live Transcribe & Notifications app from the Play Store. You tin alteration Sound Notifications from there. Once active, your telephone listens for selected sounds and alerts you erstwhile it detects one.
Choose which sounds trigger alerts
Not each dependable deserves your attention. Thankfully, Android lets you fine-tune alerts.
Settings whitethorn alteration depending connected your Android phone’s manufacturer
- Go backmost to Settings
- Tap Accessibility
- Click Hearing enhancements
- Tap Sound Notifications
- Click Open Sound Notifications. This opens the existent Sound Notifications power screen.
- On the Sound Notifications screen, pat Settings oregon the gear icon successful the apical corner
- Tap Sound types
You volition present spot the afloat database of detectable sounds.
- Toggle connected the sounds you privation alerts for, specified arsenic fume alarms oregon doorbells
- Toggle disconnected sounds you bash not want, similar canine barking oregon appliance beeps, if they are not important to you

You tin take precisely which sounds trigger alerts, helping you debar unnecessary interruptions. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)
Check the dependable past log
Sound Notifications support a log of detected sounds. This helps if you were distant from your telephone and privation to spot what happened.
You tin besides prevention sounds and sanction them. That makes it easier to archer the quality betwixt your washer finishing and your microwave timer.
The log adds context, which makes alerts much helpful.
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Teach your telephone customized sounds
Android does not halt astatine presets. You tin bid it to admit sounds unsocial to your space.
Maybe your store doorway has a chiseled tone. Maybe an appliance uses a nonstandard beep. You tin grounds it once, and your telephone volition perceive for it going forward. To adhd a customized sound:
Settings whitethorn alteration depending connected your Android phone’s manufacturer
- Open Sound Notifications
- Tap the gear icon
- Select Custom sounds
- Tap Add sound
- Hit Record
Record a wide 20-second clip. The amended the audio, the amended detection works later.
Customize however alerts appear
By default, Sound Notifications usage vibration and the camera flash. That ocular cue is adjuvant for urgent alerts. However, not each dependable needs that level of attention. You tin set however alerts look based connected importance.
Settings whitethorn alteration depending connected your Android phone’s manufacturer
- Open Sound Notifications
- Open the gear icon
- Tap Ways to beryllium notified
- From there, take which alerts vibrate, flash oregon stay subtle
This flexibility keeps the diagnostic moving for your routine.
Your privateness stays connected your phone
It is tenable to question changeless listening. Here is the cardinal detail. Sound Notifications process audio locally connected your device. Sounds ne'er permission your phone. Nothing gets sent to Google. The lone objection is if you take to see audio with feedback. That plan keeps the diagnostic backstage and secure.
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Kurt's cardinal takeaways
Android Sound Notifications softly lick a existent problem. They assistance you enactment alert erstwhile your ears cannot. Setup is fast. Controls are flexible. Privacy stays intact. Once you crook it on, you whitethorn wonderment however you lived without it.
What important dependable person you missed lately that your telephone could person caught for you? Let america cognize by penning to america astatine Cyberguy.com.
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Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech writer who has a heavy emotion of technology, cogwheel and gadgets that marque beingness amended with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business opening mornings connected "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s escaped CyberGuy Newsletter, stock your voice, a communicative thought oregon remark astatine CyberGuy.com.










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