How to Enable HomePod Voice Recognition and Add Security to Your Home with Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detection

2023-04-23 02:04:20

As mentioned in our HomePod 2 unboxing test, the much-anticipated update to the voice recognition feature. In fact, it was updated to all HomePod users within a few days after the actual test was published. Such high sincerity also allowed the author to upgrade as soon as it was received, and share with you a simple tutorial on how to enable this function and related restrictions. Continue reading for extra security at home! HomePod smoke carbon monoxide alarm sound recognition feature enables teaching report text.

Add security for your home! HomePod Smoke Carbon Monoxide Siren Voice Recognition Enabled Tutorial

As mentioned in our HomePod 2 unboxing test, the much-anticipated update to the voice recognition feature. In fact, it was updated to all HomePod users within a few days after the actual test was published – yes, it is “all”, that is, even HomePod 1 users can have it. Such high sincerity also allowed the author to upgrade as soon as it was received, and share with you a simple tutorial on how to enable this function and related restrictions.

What is Voice Recognition on HomePod?

If you often visit iPhone-related functions when you have nothing to do, you should actually feel that you have seen the “Voice Recognition” function a long time ago. It’s just relative to the accessibility features that are more biased towards assisting hearing. HomePod and HomePod mini, which also have sensitive microphone sensors, are mainly used at home, so I think it is really suitable for the sound recognition function to provide full-time alert to the siren sound monitored.

After obtaining this feature, it means that even if you are away from home, HomePod can help notify iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch through the Internet, and actively warn that there may be smoke or carbon monoxide alarms detected at home.

Add security for your home! HomePod Smoke Carbon Monoxide Siren Sound Recognition Function Enabling Tutorial - Computer King Ada
▲Picture: With a wireless linkage fire alarm, mutual backup should be even more foolproof.

The point is that through the interface of the Home app, you can also actively connect back to the HomePod that detected the alarm to listen to the live sound (confirm whether it is a false alarm or a drill). You can even chat with the scene directly by voice. If your HomeKit home environment has a linked monitor, the current interface will also actively ask whether to start the monitor to check the status.

Basic Requirements for HomePod Voice Recognition

Naturally, to use the latest features, Apple’s ecosystem, including devices such as iPhone and HomePod, needs to be upgraded to a newer version, which is a necessary action. However, I personally think that the most important point is that if you want to activate HomePod voice recognition, you will need to upgrade to the latest Apple home architecture.

The reason why it is said to be the key is that under this latest architecture, the iPad will lose its ability to serve as a home control center.

In short, you will have to use Apple TV or HomePod / HomePod mini as a home control hub. Therefore, if the HomeKit IoT products in your home need to rely on the iPad to operate, it is recommended to consider whether to upgrade.

Add security for your home! HomePod Smoke Carbon Monoxide Siren Sound Recognition Function Enabling Tutorial - Computer King Ada

As for the system requirements of HomeKit’s underlying architecture, at least iOS / iPadOS / tvOS version 16.2 or later is required; although the voice recognition function does not specifically mention the minimum system version, it is marked “Applicable to HomePod 16.4″ in the documentation. or newer.” Would recommend everyone to upgrade to at least iOS 16.4 to make sure everything works.

In terms of hardware, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, basically all HomePod and HomePod mini currently on sale can support it – that is, there is no limit to having Matter support to activate this function.

How to enable HomePod voice recognition

In fact, from now on, basically as long as you open the Home app / family app on your Apple device, you should receive a prompt for “new security and privacy features”. You will receive simple instructions that Voice Recognition will detect the sound of smoke or carbon monoxide alarms and allow family members to check in the event of a major incident. At this point, click “Continue” to enter the upgrade check step.

Add security for your home! HomePod Smoke Carbon Monoxide Siren Sound Recognition Function Enabling Tutorial - Computer King Ada

Upgrading the underlying structure of the family will conduct a round of device compatibility confirmation, including the version of the Apple Watch you own, and will also prompt members of the same Apple family that they may also need to update the latest software system in order to fully use Apple Related functions of the smart home system.

Add security for your home! HomePod Smoke Carbon Monoxide Siren Sound Recognition Function Enabling Tutorial - Computer King Ada

After the confirmation is complete, the Home app will also actively ask you whether you want to enable the voice recognition function. If you can’t find it, you can also use the ” ” button, go to “Family Settings > Security and Privacy” settings, select to enable “Voice Recognition”.

It should be noted that after the upgrade has just been completed. Products including HomePod at home will actually take a short time to set up – you will see the status of “setting” through the home app. So don’t be too eager to try whether this feature is useful after the upgrade. You can wait for a while to confirm that HomePod has returned to normal working condition.

How does HomePod voice recognition work?

On the setting page in the previous paragraph, we can already see many detailed functions of the voice recognition function of Apple’s home application. Including whether to turn on the “sound” item of “smoke and carbon monoxide alarm”; you can also set whether you need to continue to listen to these sounds for each HomePod in the family; you can also restrict family members from playing back HomePod surroundings through a simple switch permissions for calling functions.

Add security for your home! HomePod Smoke Carbon Monoxide Siren Sound Recognition Function Enabling Tutorial - Computer King Ada

Basically, as long as the sound recognition of the home app is activated, devices that support this function, such as HomePod and HomePod mini, will detect whether there is a specific sound around them at any time, and send a “detected” to iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and other supporting devices. Siren Sound” Push Notifications – The hierarchy is not surprisingly marked as “Important” in iOS.

Add security for your home! HomePod Smoke Carbon Monoxide Siren Sound Recognition Function Enabling Tutorial - Computer King Ada

The author simply conducted the actual measurement with the video of the carbon monoxide alarm on the Internet. HomePod’s sound recognition detection function for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms will not be triggered immediately because of a short sound. So “theoretically” there is no need to worry that when watching TV programs, this function will always be triggered due to the plot or special sound effects.

After playing the short ringtone in a continuous loop for about 10 times, the mobile phone of the author and my family members received a notification from the home app prompting “A siren sound has been detected. Please check immediately.”

Add security for your home! HomePod Smoke Carbon Monoxide Siren Sound Recognition Function Enabling Tutorial - Computer King Ada

After clicking the notification, you will see a window of “Siror sound has been detected” in the Home app, and clicking “Check” will pop up an interface where you can immediately listen to the real-time sound around HomePod – you can not only listen to confirm whether it is still There is an alarm, and you can click “talk” to communicate with the people on the scene.

That is to say, when you check the HomePod on site, the speaker will also loudly indicate that someone is currently connected to the device. This should also be a related privacy mechanism to avoid eavesdropping – probably because of the same consideration, there seems to be no related function of historical recording playback.

epilogue

Naturally, such a function does have a chance because if a fire accident does occur, the power may be cut off directly, resulting in subsequent confirmation functions that may not be able to proceed smoothly. But at least there should be a good chance to let Apple home users know the location of HomePod through push notifications as soon as possible; even if it is a false alarm, it can be confirmed immediately through the HomePod call function.

And because this function has enough considerations for privacy, I would recommend that friends who have HomePod at home can turn on this function to let it help the family.

Add security for your home! HomePod Smoke Carbon Monoxide Siren Sound Recognition Function Enabling Tutorial - Computer King Ada

That is to say, in fact, in terms of the “sound recognition” function alone, it seems that it is still possible to customize the sound characteristics of doorbells or home appliances that need to be recognized on the iPhone, which feels more flexible? However, judging from the settings page of the current home app, I personally think that in the future, there should be quite a chance to introduce more types of sounds and even customized recognition capabilities, right? You can look forward to seeing it.

Further reading:

HomePod 2 unboxing experience: I would call it the Special Edition
Add security for your home! HomePod Smoke Carbon Monoxide Siren Sound Recognition Function Enabling Tutorial - Computer King Ada

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