A wearable device can facilitate automatic adjustment of a volume control and/or other settings of a host device based on properties of the ambient environment. For example, when a host device generates an audible alert, a wearable device can sample the ambient sound to detect a distinct contribution corresponding to the audible alert; if the contribution is outside acceptable levels, the wearable device can notify the host device to adjust the alert volume and/or other alert characteristics. Adjustments to host-device settings can also be made based on comparing audio signals collected by the host device and the wearable device.