Apple Watch’s Live Rewind feature raises privacy concerns: Here’s what Apple says
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Apple launched the all-new Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Watch Series 12 during the Surprise and Shine event, and along with that, the company has also unveiled a new listening feature called Live Rewind. The feature is designed for moments when users miss a few words during a conversation and want to quickly check what was said. Apple says the feature is built with privacy in mind, with processing handled on the watch rather than sent elsewhere. Here’s everything you need to know about the Live Rewind feature on Apple Watch.
SurveyWhat is Live Rewind on Apple Watch
Live Rewind is an Apple Watch feature that lets users look back at the last 15 seconds of spoken conversation. Apple says that the feature could come in handy in situations where a person speaks too quickly, a sentence is unclear or a user simply misses part of what was said.
Moreover, the Cupertino-based tech giant also confirms that the feature can also connect the text snippet with Siri for further help. Users can also save information to the Siri app if they want to keep it.
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Apple Watch Live Rewind: How it works
According to Apple, the users can access the Apple Watch Live Rewind feature by double pressing the Digital Crown. Once the feature is activated, the watch processes the recent speech and displays it as text. The company also added that the watch does not continue listening or transcribing after the feature is activated. Rather, the recent speech is processed and then deleted.
It’s also important to note that the text shown by Live Rewind does not stay on the watch indefinitely. The transcripts disappear permanently around 30 seconds after the display dims, unless the information has been saved to the Siri app.
Live Rewind can be switched on or off through the Watch app on an iPhone and requires an Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4 paired with an iPhone 16 or newer. However, the users with iPhone 16e will be missing out on the feature.
Other than that, keep in mind that Live Rewind requires Apple Intelligence and will not be available to users under 13. The feature is scheduled to arrive later this year, rather than with the first versions of watchOS 27 and iOS 27.
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You can’t secretly use Live Rewind
Since Apple showcased the Live Rewind feature, the internet has been divided into two segments, where one half is appreciating the feature while the other half says it’s a privacy concern. However, Apple has already confirmed that the feature will not create a privacy issue, as users cannot quietly activate the feature without others noticing.
When Live Rewind starts, the Apple Watch will play an audible chime through its speaker, which will be loud enough to be heard by nearby individuals. Moreover, the company also clarified that the chime will also happen even when the watch is on silent mode or connected to headphones. Along with the sound a full-screen animation and microphone indicator will also appear on the display, giving people nearby a clear sign that the feature is active.
