F.A.Q.
A few practical answers.
How Sound Beacon can help in everyday life, how to get started and how to manage your alerts.
Who can find Sound Beacon useful?
The app is designed for deaf people and people with hearing loss. It can also be useful to anyone who prefers a visible or tactile cue for a familiar sound. You choose which sounds to record and test in your surroundings.
What everyday situations can it help with?
You can create a personal profile for a familiar doorbell, timer or appliance signal. Record that sound, then check that your device recognises it where you plan to use the app.
Why do alerts repeat until I acknowledge them?
A repeating vibration and visible notification can draw your attention when you are looking away from the screen. When you acknowledge the alert, that signal stops while listening can continue.
Does it need the internet?
Ordinary sound recognition is available immediately. For names and phrases spoken by different voices, download the languages you need once in the app settings. The original models then work offline. Up to three languages can be stored and unused languages can be removed.
How is the app language selected?
The app supports English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Russian. It follows your Android system language automatically and uses English if that language is not supported. Changing this website's language does not change the installed app.
Which Android devices are supported?
Android 8.0 or later is required. The device needs a working microphone and vibration hardware. Microphone access and, where required by Android, notification permission must be allowed. Device settings can affect monitoring.
Will it recognise any sound or any song?
No. Personal profiles use recorded examples, and results depend on the sound and surroundings. For music, the recorded fragment matters: another section, performance or recording may not match.
How do I stop an alert or listening?
Acknowledge the active alert in the app to stop its repeating vibration and notifications. Stop monitoring from the app when you no longer want it to use the microphone.
How do I install the APK?
Download the universal APK using the download button, open it, and allow installation from that source if Android asks. After installation, open the app and follow its permission and sound setup. Keep the installation permission enabled only for as long as needed.