A SMARTPHONE app can tell if you are drunk by the sound of your voice, its creators claim.
It could be a blessing for those who send embarrassing texts and snaps after a night in the pub.
And it might be a lifesaver for over-the-limit drivers.
Experts at Stanford University in California developed software that analyses voice changes as people say tongue-twisters.
In a study it predicted intoxication with 98 per cent accuracy when compared with gold-standard breath tests.
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The programme could be used on a phone or smart speaker such as Alexa, and tell whether someone’s blood alcohol was above 0.08 per cent — the UK drink-drive limit.
It detects subtle changes in a voice’s pitch and frequency as booze kicks in.
Lead researcher Dr Brian Suffoletto said: “The accuracy took me by surprise.”
The study involved 18 men and women aged 21 to 62 given varying amounts of vodka.
They were then tasked with speaking tongue twisters while being recorded from between one and two feet away.
Dr Suffoletto then compared the programme’s voice analysis with breathalyser results.
He said bigger trials were needed to verify the tech before it could be mass-produced.
International figures this week showed Brits were among the biggest binge drinkers in the world, with one in three getting drunk at least once a month.