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In September we wrote that Voice SOS would not be in the first iPhone release. We have changed our minds, because we found a way to do it that does not depend on iOS being kind to us.
This post explains that way, and is honest about what has not been tested yet.
The problem with listening on iPhone
On Android, ORBII runs a listening service that keeps going with the screen off, and comes back if the phone stops it.
iPhone works differently:
- An app may keep recording in the background, but only if it started while the app was open.
- iOS can stop that recording at any time, for a phone call, another app, or to save memory.
- Once it is stopped, an app cannot start the microphone again from the background. It has to wait until you open it.
So a listener that only lives inside ORBII has a gap. If iOS closes it at 1am, it stays closed until morning. A safety feature that quietly stops is worse than one that was never on, because you think you are covered.
What iOS cannot stop: its own listeners
iOS has two features that listen all the time, as part of the phone itself, not as an app:
- Vocal Shortcuts (iOS 18 and later). You record a phrase of your own, and when the phone hears it, it runs an action. No “Hey Siri” in front. You can make the phrase “help help”.
- Sound Recognition. The phone listens for sounds like shouting, and an automation can run an action when it hears one.
Neither of these is ORBII’s microphone, so iOS has no reason to stop them. And both can run an app’s action with the app closed and the phone locked.
So on iPhone, ORBII gives iOS an action called Start SOS. You connect it once, in about two minutes, and the app walks you through it. After that, shouting “help help”, or a scream, opens ORBII’s SOS countdown even if ORBII is not running.
The same action also works from Siri, the Action button and Back Tap, for people who prefer those.
Three layers, so one limit cannot silence it
| Layer | What it is | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | iOS’s own listeners run ORBII’s Start SOS | Always, including locked and with ORBII closed |
| 2 | ORBII’s own listener, the same phrase rules as Android, plus Apple’s built-in scream classifier | From when you turn it on in the app, until iOS or a call stops it |
| 3 | A watchdog that checks every 5 seconds that sound is still arriving | Always while Voice SOS is on |
The third layer is the honest one. If ORBII’s listener stops and cannot restart, it tells you straight away, “Voice SOS paused”, instead of showing a switch that says “on” while nothing is listening.
The countdown stays
Every trigger, from any layer, only opens a 5 second countdown that you can cancel with one tap. It never sends an SOS by itself. This is the same on Android.
A false alarm costs you one tap. A missed one can cost far more, so that is where we keep the safety gate.
Your voice stays on your phone
ORBII’s listener on iPhone uses Apple’s on-device speech recognition only. If a phone cannot recognise speech on the device, Voice SOS stays off. It does not fall back to sending audio to a server. That is the same promise we make on Android, where recognition runs offline too. Why we keep your voice on your phone.
What is done, and what is not
We would rather tell you this than have you find out on the wrong night.
Done:
- The iPhone app builds and opens.
- The Voice SOS engine, and shake, fall and crash detection, are written. Their rules are copied from the Android detectors, and 47 tests pass.
- The Start SOS action is in the app, and iOS can see it.
Not done yet:
- Nothing has been tested on a real iPhone. The simulator has no real microphone, no accelerometer and no real GPS.
- We do not yet know how well Vocal Shortcuts hears a phrase that is shouted in fear rather than said calmly. We will tell people to train it shouted.
- Sound Recognition may also react to a loud TV. The countdown is there for exactly that.
- Battery use with Voice SOS on for hours.
When
We are not giving a date. When the iPhone app is in TestFlight, we will say so here, and we will publish what the real-phone tests showed, including what did not work.
Until then, ORBII is on Android, and it is free.
Frequently asked questions
Is ORBII available on iPhone yet?
Not yet. The iPhone app builds and opens, and the Voice SOS engine is written and passes its tests, but it has not been tested on a real iPhone. We are not giving a release date. We will say so here when it is in TestFlight.
Will Voice SOS work on iPhone with the app closed?
That is the goal of the design. iOS can stop a normal app's microphone whenever it likes, and an app cannot restart it from the background. So on iPhone, ORBII also uses Vocal Shortcuts and Sound Recognition, which are part of iOS itself and keep listening when ORBII is closed. They run ORBII's Start SOS action. This still has to be proven on real phones.
Do I need to say Hey Siri?
No. Vocal Shortcuts lets you set your own phrase, such as "help help", with no Hey Siri in front of it. It needs iOS 18 or later.
Does my voice leave my phone?
No. ORBII's own listener on iPhone uses Apple's on-device speech recognition only. If a phone cannot recognise speech on-device, Voice SOS stays off rather than sending audio anywhere. Vocal Shortcuts and Sound Recognition also run on the device.
Can a false trigger send an SOS?
No. Every trigger, on iPhone and on Android, only opens a 5 second countdown that you can cancel with one tap. Nothing in the engine sends an SOS by itself.