Apple is preparing to introduce two new audio intelligence features to its Apple Watch range, giving users new ways to review conversations and retrieve information they may have missed. Siri Recap and Live Rewind are included in the latest watchOS 27.3 beta, offering additional functionality through Apple’s artificial intelligence technology.
Apple first announced the features in September alongside the launch of the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. They are designed to help users understand and remember spoken information without relying entirely on memory. While both features use audio captured through the watch’s microphones, they serve different purposes: one generates conversation summaries, and the other retrieves recently spoken words.
According to TechCrunch, Apple announced beta availability in a press release issued in India. At the time of the announcement, the software update had not yet become available in the United States. Apple typically releases developer and public beta updates in the middle of the day in Eastern Time, suggesting availability in other regions could follow shortly after.
Siri Recap provides summaries of conversations
Siri Recap helps Apple Watch users remember important details from conversations. Rather than requiring users to recall everything discussed, the feature uses Apple Intelligence to generate a summary with a title and the main points of a conversation.
Users can access these summaries in the Siri app whenever they need to revisit information. The feature could be useful when people receive several instructions, discuss important arrangements, or have conversations with details they may need later.
For example, someone attending a meeting or discussing plans with another person could use Siri Recap to review the main points without reconstructing the entire conversation from memory. The automatically generated title and key points are intended to make previously captured information easier to identify and retrieve.
Live Rewind offers a different approach by focusing on the most recent part of a conversation. Instead of summarising an entire discussion, it lets users retrieve the last 15 seconds of spoken audio as text.
The feature is intended for situations where someone misses a particular statement or struggles to understand what was said. This could happen when listening to an airport announcement, following a presentation or speaking with someone in a noisy environment.
Users can activate Live Rewind by double-pressing the Digital Crown on their Apple Watch. The device then displays a text version of the recent conversation, allowing the user to read the words they may have missed. Users can also ask Siri questions about the displayed text or save the information for later access through the Siri app.
Together, the two features offer different ways to handle spoken information. Siri Recap focuses on retaining the broader meaning of conversations, while Live Rewind lets users retrieve specific details from the immediate past.
Apple addresses privacy concerns surrounding audio intelligence
These features raise privacy questions because the supported Apple Watch models use their microphones to detect surrounding sounds continuously. This capability also supports other Audio Intelligence functions, including recognising sounds such as alarms and a crying infant, as well as speeding up Shazam song identification.
Apple has sought to address these concerns by explaining how it processes audio. According to the company, the features do not record or store audio from users’ surroundings. Instead, the S11 chip powering the supported Apple Watch models processes audio independently from the rest of the device before immediately deleting it.
Apple also claims that its operating system, third-party applications, users, and the company itself cannot access raw audio. This approach is intended to allow the watch to analyse sounds and generate useful information without retaining recordings of private conversations.
Users will also have control over whether individual Audio Intelligence features are enabled. Some functions require manual activation, while others can be switched off if users don’t want to use them.
Apple has clarified that Audio Intelligence does not identify individual speakers or attribute specific statements to particular people during conversations. This means the technology focuses on processing spoken information rather than recording who said each statement.
The company has also introduced visible and audible indicators for Live Rewind. Even when an Apple Watch is set to silent mode, activating the feature produces a chime. The display also shows an animation and a microphone indicator to inform people that the function is being used.
Siri Recap has additional restrictions designed to prevent sensitive information from appearing in generated summaries. Apple says the feature will exclude certain private details, including financial information, from its conversation summaries.
These measures highlight Apple’s effort to balance the convenience of AI-powered audio features with users’ privacy expectations. However, as these technologies develop, privacy and transparency will likely remain key considerations.
Compatible devices and regional availability
Siri Recap and Live Rewind will initially be limited to the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. Both models feature the hardware required to support Apple’s Audio Intelligence capabilities, including the S11 chip and microphones used to detect surrounding sounds.
However, owning a supported watch won’t be enough to access the features. Users will also need a compatible iPhone with Apple Intelligence enabled. Apple currently requires an iPhone 16 or later, excluding the iPhone 16e, to use these Audio Intelligence functions.
The additional iPhone requirement means that some Apple Watch owners may not be able to access the new features even if they have purchased one of the latest wearable devices. Compatibility therefore depends on having both a supported Apple Watch and an eligible iPhone.
Language and regional restrictions will also apply at launch. Siri Recap and Live Rewind will initially support English only, limiting access for users who prefer other languages. Apple has also confirmed that the features will not initially be available in the European Union.
Daily usage limits will further restrict how frequently users can access the new capabilities. Apple has not indicated that the features will be available without restrictions, making the initial release a controlled introduction of its AI-powered audio technology.
The inclusion of Siri Recap and Live Rewind in the watchOS 27.3 beta gives eligible users a chance to test the features before their wider release. Their arrival also expands Apple’s use of artificial intelligence beyond traditional voice commands, bringing conversation summaries and real-time information retrieval directly to its wearable devices.
