While using headphones with iPhone, you can check the audio level by viewing the Hearing control in Control Center. In the Health app, you can review the history of your headphone listening habits.
If you listen to loud headphone audio long enough to affect your hearing, iPhone automatically sends you a notification that you should turn down the volume. The next time you plug in your headphones or connect them using Bluetooth®, your volume is automatically set to a lower level, though you can turn it up again if you choose.
Here’s how to check your headphone audio levels on iPhone.
Quick tip: You can review the details of any headphone notification in Health. Tap Browse at the bottom right, tap Hearing, and then tap Headphone Notifications.
Check your headphone levels while you listen
Control Center is where you can view your live headphone levels.
- Open Control Center.
- Tap the Add button at the top left of Control Center and then tap Add a Control.
- Scroll down to Hearing Accessibility, then tap Hearing.
- Tap the Hearing Devices button in Control Center.
The Headphone Level meter displays your headphones’ audio level in decibels.
Note: Tap Live Listen (below the Headphone Level meter) to turn it on or off. Typically, you won’t use it at the same time as headphone level monitoring, since the Headphone Level monitor is for listening to audio playback, while Live Listen is for listening to external sounds with the iPhone microphone.
Check your headphone levels over time
- Start the Health app on your iPhone.
- Tap Browse and then tap Hearing.
- Tap Headphone Audio Levels and then do any of the following:
- See exposure levels over a period of time: Tap the tabs at the top of the screen. (All levels are measured in decibels.)
- Learn about the sound level classifications: Tap the Show Information button.
- Change the time span displayed in the graph: Swipe the graph left or right.
- Display highlights: Scroll down to Highlights and then tap Show All.
To learn more about your headphone audio levels, tap Show More Data.
Reduce loud headphone sounds
- Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap Sounds & Haptics, scroll down, and then tap Headphone Safety.
- Turn on Reduce Loud Audio, then drag the slider.
By analyzing your headphone audio, iPhone reduces any sound above the level you set.
Note: You can prevent family members from changing the Reduce Loud Sounds level if you’ve set up Screen Time for them. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Reduce Loud Sounds, and select Don’t Allow.
Get headphone audio notifications
Headphone notifications appear on the Summary screen of the Health app.
Note: Depending on your country or region, Headphone Notifications may be turned on by default, and in some countries or regions, you may not be able to turn it off. If allowed in your country or region, you can do the following:
- Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap Sounds & Haptics, then tap Headphone Safety.
- Turn Headphone Notifications on or off.
The Settings app can also set a maximum decibel level to keep your headphone audio at a comfortable level.
With Apple or Beats headphones, headphone audio measurements are most accurate. For other headphones, the audio played through them can be estimated based on your iPhone’s volume.
