New AI Features for Apple Watch: Live Rewind and Siri Recap
New Capabilities for Apple Watch
Apple has added two highly anticipated features to the developer version of watchOS 27.3: Live Rewind and Siri Recap. These tools are exclusive to users of the Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 when paired with an iPhone 16 or newer models. While the company first announced these capabilities in September, they have only now become available for activation.
How Live Rewind and Siri Recap Work
Live Rewind allows users to view a text version of the last 15 seconds of speech on their screen by double-pressing the Digital Crown. This feature is particularly useful in noisy environments or when you need to clarify a specific detail from a conversation. For privacy, the watch emits an audible signal and displays an on-screen animation when the feature is active, ensuring those nearby are aware the microphone is engaged.
Siri Recap is a more comprehensive tool that automatically summarizes conversations held throughout the day. Rather than providing a full transcript or identifying individual speakers, the system generates a concise summary highlighting key points. Data is stored for seven days unless the user chooses to save it manually. Notably, the service automatically filters out sensitive information, such as financial data.
Privacy and Limitations
Apple states that both features are designed with privacy in mind. Voice data is neither recorded nor stored; raw audio is processed within the S11 chip’s isolated Secure Exclave system. Text processing for Siri Recap is handled via Apple’s Private Cloud Compute service. Use of both features is entirely voluntary, and users can enable or disable them at their discretion.
At present, these features function only in English and are restricted for users under the age of 13. Furthermore, users residing in the European Union cannot yet access these tools, as full support for Siri AI remains limited in that region. A public beta version is expected in the near future, after which the features will be made available to the general public.