Apple Watch Adds Listening
Apple’s new watches add health and listening features, prompting privacy questions.
September 9, 2026 · Updated Sep 9, 6:01pm ET
The VergeRead the Apple document explaining how new listening features still protect your privacy
ARS TechnicaApple starts preorders for Watch Series 12, Ultra 4 with new Health Sensing System
WiredApple Doesn’t Want You to Worry About the New Apple Watch’s Listening Features
CNETApple's Redesigned Health App Brings a Slew of New Features
TechCrunchApple unveils Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 with an AI upgrade that can recap your day
GizmodoIf Meta Glasses Freak You Out, Wait Until You Hear About the New Apple Watch Features
Business InsiderThe new Apple Watch can listen in on your conversations and take notes. That makes me feel weird.
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What happened
Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 with Audio Intelligence, an opt-in set of microphone-based features that can generate conversation recaps, brief transcriptions and summaries, Live Rewind, Sound Recognition and Music Recognition. Both watches run the new S11 chip with a quad-core Neural Engine and include a Health Sensing System for higher-frequency heart-rate and HRV measurements. Apple says raw audio is handled within dedicated hardware as part of its privacy design. Preorders have opened, with base prices unchanged from the prior models.
