Your iPhone 14 has a hidden startup sound

iPhone 14 can play sound when turned on or off. A “hidden”feature that can be very useful. Here’s how to use it.

The Mac startup sound is iconic, but it’s an anomaly. No other Apple device makes any sounds at startup. Only the presence of the company logo informs the user that the iPhone or iPad is turning on. If you prefer good old sound or like your device to make noise, you’re in luck: for the first time in the iPhone 14, there are startup and shutdown sounds. They are just hidden.

Startup and shutdown sounds on iPhone 14

And before you ask: no, unfortunately these sounds are not available on older iPhones. Your iPhone 13 will be silent on and off even after installing iOS 16, while your friend’s new iPhone 14 might be a little noisy. The reason isn’t to (necessarily) push you into buying a new smartphone (although the Cupertino company would obviously love it), the giant isn’t pushing the feature, it’s just something users discovered by diving into the device’s settings.

According to 9to5Mac, these sounds will be integrated directly into the iPhone 14 Pro’s A16 chip. At the time this sound is played, iOS is not yet running, so the only way to play the sound is to have it directly on the chip. If true, Apple may not offer this feature for older devices. That being said, this explanation doesn’t fit the non-professional iPhone 14s, which still have last year’s A15 chip (very slightly modified) and have these sounds. Perhaps Apple programmed the sound on the A15 chip in the standard iPhone 14.

Regardless of how it works, in the end, there’s no reason why Apple shouldn’t offer a software update for audio playback when iOS launches or before it shuts down. Of course, this will not be the same as having it when the logo appears on the screen, but it may have a small effect. However, its presence on the iPhone 14 suggests it will likely be integrated into future iPhones, and as an accessibility feature it makes sense, it allows visually impaired users to receive audible confirmation that the device is turning on or off.

How to activate sound when iPhone 14 is turned on and off

Activating these sounds is very simple. Just open the Settings app and go to Accessibility > Audio/Video. Then click Startup and Shutdown Sounds. The next time you turn your iPhone off and on again, you’ll hear that cute sound. It’s not like “Bong!”the Mac symbol, but it’s still very nice.

iPhone 14: startup and shutdown sounds! pic.twitter.com/ThOaLgO045

— Martin Nobel (@MartinNobel_) September 17, 2022