Apple's watchOS 27.3 Beta Enables Siri Recap and Live Rewind

Apple's latest watchOS 27.3 beta enables two Audio Intelligence features, Siri Recap and Live Rewind, for testing on compatible Apple Watch models. The features were revealed with the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 in September, and they require a compatible iPhone with Apple Intelligence enabled.

What the features do

Siri Recap can provide high-level summaries of conversations when enabled. Apple Intelligence generates a title and key points, and users can access the summaries from the Siri app. Live Rewind can convert the last 15 seconds of a conversation to text if something was missed or not understood. Users can double-press the Digital Crown to view the snippet, ask Siri about it, or save it for later in the Siri app.

Privacy and controls

The features run on Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, whose microphones can constantly pick up surrounding audio. Apple says the features do not record or store audio. The S11 chip processes audio in isolation from the rest of the device and deletes it right away. The company says operating systems, apps, users, and Apple itself cannot access raw audio. Users can opt out of each feature, and some must be manually enabled. Audio Intelligence does not identify or attribute speakers. Even when a watch is set to silent, Live Rewind plays a chime and shows an animation and microphone indicator. Siri Recap summaries will not show sensitive information such as financial details.

Availability and requirements

Along with an Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4, users need a compatible iPhone with Apple Intelligence enabled, such as an iPhone 16 or later but not iPhone 16e. Siri Recap and Live Rewind will initially be available only in English and not in the EU. They are also subject to daily usage limits. The always-on microphone also supports other Audio Intelligence features, including sound recognition for alarms and a crying infant and faster Shazam song detection.

Sources: Engadget · TechCrunch