The promised Sound Recognition feature that Apple announced back in January is finally available for the HomePod and HomePod mini smart speakers. Devices will now notify you if they hear a smoke or CO2 alarm. The innovation is useful for users who have conventional sensors installed without an Internet connection. In this way, you can save money on the upgrade.

After you set up the feature in the Home app, your HomePod will monitor the alarm and send a notification to your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch when it goes off. A corresponding banner will also appear in the Home application, in case you accidentally swipe the notification without reading it.

If you also have a HomeKit-enabled camera, the notification will include video of the incident. Apple assures that the analysis of ambient sounds takes place on the device to protect privacy, and data transmission is done with end-to-end encryption. The company also recommends setting up the automation of other smart devices if the temperature inside the house rises above a given level. For example, to turn on the fans or open the blinds automatically.