Apple Watch Series 12 with Apple IntelligenceThe new Audio Intelligence features include Siri Recap, which summarizes conversations, and Live Rewind, which retrieves the preceding 15 seconds as text. Automatic Shazam recognition and alerts for sounds such as alarms, sirens, and doorbells use the same protected system.
Because Siri Recap operates without warning other speakers, the features raise questions about what an Apple Watch hears, where the audio goes, and whether anyone could retrieve it. Apple’s September privacy paper describes an S11 component called the Secure Exclave as the answer.
Microphone audio can exist temporarily inside that protected hardware without becoming a playable or retrievable recording, according to Apple. Siri Recap can still transfer encrypted audio from the Apple Watch to a paired iPhone before turning it into text.