Last year in iOS 13, Apple introduced new hearing features in the Health app that are designed to help users avoid being exposed to high levels of sound when wearing headphones for an extended period of time. In iOS 14, Apple is advancing its hearing features by adding the ability to measure the volume level of what you're listening to in real time.

airpodsapplemusic
With the new feature, Apple is putting more emphasis on the health dangers of being exposed to high volume audio. Listening to something at 80 decibels (dB) for more than 40 hours in a one-week period increases your risk of hearing loss. Raise it 10 dB to 90, and damage can begin after only four hours a week. Turn it up over 100 dB, and listening for just a few minutes a week can cause damage.

With the new headphone measuring feature, you can check that what you're listening to is being played at an acceptable level for your ears. It's easy to set up and use once you know where it is. The following steps show you how it's done on an ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ running iOS 14.

How to Set Up the Headphone Level Checker in iOS 14

  1. Launch the Settings app on your ‌‌iPhone‌‌ or ‌‌iPad‌‌.

  2. Tap Control Center.
  3. Scroll down and tap the green plus (+) button next to Hearing.
    settings

How to Use the Headphone Level Checker in iOS 14

The next time you're listening to something on your iOS device over connected headphones, follow these steps.

  1. Launch Control Center: On an ‌‌iPad‌‌ with a Home button, double-tap the Home button; on ‌‌iPhone‌‌ 8 or earlier, swipe up from the bottom of the screen; and on a 2018 iPad Pro or ‌‌iPhone‌‌ X and later, swipe down from the upper right of the screen.
  2. Look at the Hearing button in Control Center. If it has a green tick, you're listening at a healthy volume level. If what you're listening to exceeds the 80-decibel level, the measurement icon will display a yellow exclamation mark, warning you that the volume is too high.
    control center

  3. For a more detailed picture of the current decibel level, tap the Hearing button.
    headphone level

The real-time headphone level feature works well with most headphones, but bear in mind that Apple says the measurement is more accurate with AirPods and other Apple-certified headsets.

Tag: Hearing
Related Forum: iOS 14

Top Rated Comments

einsteinbqat Avatar
60 months ago

"Control centre" lol iOS 14 already has typos
I don't think that you realise that Brits, Canucks, Aussies, Kiwis, etc., write centre with the R before the E. The R at the end, that's the American way. And we write, neighboUr, flavoUr, coloUr, odoUr, doughnut, etc. USA aren't the centre of everything. ?
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
60 months ago

!!!! In general, slide the slider to the left or turn the knob counter clockwise to turn the volume down. As a civilization we are now so stupid we can't tell when we have something turned up too loud?
A song sound level may sound reasonable to a listener. That doesn’t necessarily mean the sound is medically safe at that moment, much less long term. Many people get used to loud noises. That doesn’t mean they should continue listening to loud noises

I think you are trivializing an important feature and topic.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
60 months ago
Another good article, MacRumors. A handy feature indeed.

In my opinion, Apple should set it up where the user is notified with an across the screen display if the decibels are too loud. Too easy to forget to swipe up and check control center for a lot of people.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarpalMac Avatar
60 months ago

But the USA population is bigger than all those countries COMBINED!!
Reminds me of the phrase "quality over quantity". :p

(Joking, BTW).
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Pakaku Avatar
60 months ago
Semi-related, but the fact that the lowest two volume notches still sound way too loud whenever I use headphones has always astounded me, and I really wish Apple would give us better management over that in iOS and OSX. I always find myself resorting to apps like Audio Hijack in order to limit it.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NickName99 Avatar
60 months ago

!!!! In general, slide the slider to the left or turn the knob counter clockwise to turn the volume down. As a civilization we are now so stupid we can't tell when we have something turned up too loud?
Most guys over 50 I know have significant loss of hearing, from failing to protect their hearing over the years. I try to take better care of my ears, I don’t want to end up another old guy always shouting for people to speak up or repeat themselves. It’s funny how so many of these little macho ideas end up making us weaker in the long run.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

ios 18 4 carplay

iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

Sunday February 23, 2025 2:23 pm PST by
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay. As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...
cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of shareholders voted against a proposal that asked the...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
airtag orange

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch in May or June With These New Features

Monday February 24, 2025 6:11 am PST by
Apple plans to launch a second-generation AirTag in May or June this year, according to a post today from a leaker known as Kosutami. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that a new AirTag would be released in mid-2025. May or June would align with that timeframe. Below, we recap three new features rumored for the AirTag 2: With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Has No Visible Display Crease – Report

Tuesday February 25, 2025 2:58 am PST by
Apple is making significant headway on its long-rumored foldable iPhone, with a new report suggesting the company has achieved a major breakthrough by effectively eliminating the screen crease that plagues current foldable devices. According to Korean publication ETNews, Apple is finalizing its component suppliers for the foldable iPhone, with the selection process expected to be completed...
iphone 17 lineup cad render majin bu

Revealed: Entire iPhone 17 Lineup's Striking New Camera Designs

Monday February 24, 2025 2:49 am PST by
A new CAD render of all the devices in Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 lineup has been shared online by leaker Majin Bu, specifically showing the allegedly different rear camera system designs of the standard iPhone 17, all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, and the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models. The leaker Majin Bu has had some hits in the past, but some of his information has been wrong,...
trump iphone dictation issue

Apple Fixing 'Trump' Dictation Processing Bug

Tuesday February 25, 2025 1:18 pm PST by
Multiple iPhone owners today noticed a pronunciation processing issue that causes the word "Trump" to momentarily show up when using dictation to send a message with the word "racist." In some cases, when speaking the word racist through the iPhone's built-in dictation feature, the iPhone briefly interprets the spoken word as "Trump" and "Trump" text shows up in the Messages app before being ...
airpods pro purple

Here's When AirPods Pro 3 Are Rumored to Launch

Monday February 24, 2025 9:14 am PST by
According to a post on X today from a leaker known as Kosutami, Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 in May or June this year. The leaker also claimed that an AirTag 2 will launch around the same time. Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, they accurately...