Apple HomePods can now listen for your smoke alarms

The new HomePod and the HomePod Mini can now alert you to the sound of a smoke or CO alarm in your home. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

Starting today, Apple HomePod smart speakers can alert you if a smoke or CO detector goes off in your home. The Sound Recognition feature, first announced when the second-gen HomePod was launched earlier this year, listens for the alarm sound and sends a notification to your phone. Apple says the capability is now rolling out on the first- and second-gen HomePods and the HomePod Mini, though we haven't yet seen it in our apps.

For this to work, you'd need to have smoke and CO alarms installed in your home; the speakers cannot detect actual smoke or carbon monoxide. But they don't need to be smart smoke alarms or have any internet connection, which is good news. Currently, the only smart smoke alarms compatible with Apple Home in the US...

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