Nora - Sound Alerts

Your Personal Sound Assistant

Free · In‑App Purchases · Designed for iPad. Not verified for macOS.

Nora is a sound detection app built for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Whether you're at home, asleep, or out and about, Nora listens for the sounds that matter and alerts you instantly — so you never miss what's happening around you. HOW IT WORKS Nora uses Apple's on-device sound recognition to continuously monitor your surroundings. When it detects a sound you care about, it alerts you through a full-screen flash, vibration, and notification — all customisable to your needs. WHAT NORA LISTENS FOR • Doorbells, door knocks & intercoms • Smoke alarms, fire alarms & CO detectors • Phone ringing, alarm clocks & notifications • Baby crying, dogs barking & people sounds • Your name being called • Emergency sirens & safety alerts • 70+ sounds across 11 categories SMART ALERTS • Full-screen colour flash when a sound is detected • Critical safety alerts stay on screen until you dismiss them • Notification banners when you're using another app • LED torch flash — works with the phone face-down • Vibration patterns that vary by urgency • Emergency contact texting for critical alerts NAME DETECTION Nora can listen for your name being called — ideal for busy households or noisy environments. Powered by Apple's speech recognition. AMBIENT LISTENING SCREEN A minimal dark screen that stays on quietly while Nora monitors — perfect for leaving on a table or nightstand. Non-critical detections appear briefly; critical alerts lock the screen until you tap. FULLY CUSTOMISABLE • Choose exactly which sounds to monitor • One-tap presets: Home, Sleep, Work, Outdoors • Adjust detection sensitivity • Customise flash colour • Set quiet hours to pause non-critical alerts FREE, PRO & ELITE Get started free with the most essential sounds. Upgrade to Pro for 50+ sounds across all categories, or go Elite to add wildlife safety alerts. PRIVACY All sound detection is on-device — no audio is ever recorded or sent anywhere. Name detection uses Apple's speech recognition service.

Ratings & Reviews

  • 5.0
    out of 5
    1 Ratings

Introducing Sound Compass — now hear what's around you, not just be alerted to it. • Live confidence readings show the top sounds Nora is picking up • Species-level hints based on your region and time of day (e.g. Annual Cicada vs Cricket) • Sound Journal logs your discoveries with "Was this right?" feedback • Record a 6-second audio snippet to save alongside any entry Also fixed: doorbell, cricket, and mosquito alerts now trigger correctly. Sound Compass is a Pro feature. Existing alerts are unchanged for all users.

Version 1.1

The developer, Emma Taylor, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

  • Data Not Collected

    The developer does not collect any data from this app.

    Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

    Accessibility

    The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More

    Information

    Seller
    Emma Taylor
    Size
    6 MB
    Category
    Utilities
    Compatibility
    Requires iOS 17.6 or later.
    • iPhone
      Requires iOS 17.6 or later.
    • iPad
      Requires iPadOS 17.6 or later.
    • Mac
      Requires macOS 14.6 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.
    • Apple Vision
      Requires visionOS 1.3 or later.
    Languages
    English
    Age Rating
    4+
    In-App Purchases
    Yes
    Copyright
    © 2026 ​Emma ​Taylor
  • Developer Website
  • Privacy Policy

    • You Might Also Like