iPhone 14 Pro will play a startup and shutdown sound

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That pill-shaped hole where the notch used to be? Apple calls it the Dynamic Island.
Apple is bringing an iconic Mac feature to the iPhone 14 Pro.
Photo: Apple

Apple is adding a startup and shutdown chime to the iPhone 14 Pro series, similar to the iconic startup sound on Macs. The accessibility feature will help you know when your iPhone is rebooting.

iPhones currently do not play any chime when they are on the boot screen.

iPhone 14 Pro will get a handy new accessibility feature

Macs are known for their iconic startup chime. However, Apple never implemented any startup sound on iPhones. This will change with the launch of the iPhone 14 Pro series later this month. It will debut with a “Play sound when iPhone is powered on and off” feature.

iPhone 14 users will have the option to turn the sound on/off based on their preference. They can find the toggle tucked under Settings > Accessibility > Power On & Off Sounds.

Accessibility and assistive tech reporter Steven Aquino noted the feature would help many blind and low-vision people. The startup/shutdown chime will help them know when their iPhone restarts.

https://twitter.com/AppleSWUpdates/status/1567666358254538753

Additionally, iOS 16 RC code confirms that Apple will offer iPhone 14 Pro users the option to turn off Always-On Display. This will help save battery life when in a pinch.

Startup and shutdown chime not coming to older iPhones

It is unclear why Apple is not bringing this accessibility feature to older iPhones. Adding a startup and shutdown chime does not require any special hardware, which could prevent the company from doing so.

9to5Mac speculates the chime is a part of the A16 Bionic’s bootrom. This could explain why the feature is exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro series. Yep, even the non-Pro iPhone 14 models are not getting the startup and shutdown chime.

Apple starts accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro lineup from September 9. The new phones will go on sale in most markets from September 16.

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