Modifying this control will update this page automatically

iPad User Guide

Check your headphone audio levels on iPad

While using headphones with iPad, you can check whether the audio level is OK 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 for long enough to affect your hearing, iPad automatically sends you a notification that you should turn down the volume. After you receive a notification, the next time you plug in your headphones or connect them using Bluetooth®, your volume is automatically set to a lower level. You can turn the volume up again if you choose.

Tip: To review the details of a headphone notification, tap 👁 the Search button
in the Health app, tap Hearing, then tap Headphone Notifications.

Check your headphone levels while you listen

You can view your live headphone levels in Control Center.

  1. Open Control Center.

  2. Tap 👁 the Add button
    at the top left of Control Center, then tap Add a Control.

  3. Scroll down to Hearing Accessibility, then tap Hearing.

  4. Tap 👁 the Hearing Devices button
    .

    The audio level (in decibels) of your headphones is displayed on the Headphone Level meter.

Note: You can also tap Live Listen (below the Headphone Level meter) to turn Live Listen on or off. See Use iPad as a remote microphone with Live Listen. Typically, headphone level monitoring and Live Listen aren’t used at the same time. The Headphone Level monitor is intended for listening to audio playback. Live Listen is intended for listening to external sounds with the iPad microphone.

Check your headphone levels over time

  1. Go to the Health app 👁 Image
    on your iPad.

  2. Tap 👁 the Search button
    ,     then tap Hearing.

  3. Tap Headphone Audio Levels, then do any of the following:

    👁 The Hearing screen in Health showing a range of headphone audio levels in a week.

    • 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, then tap Show All.

To learn more about your headphone audio levels, tap Show More Data.

Reduce loud headphone sounds

  1. Go to the Settings app 👁 Image
    on your iPad.

  2. Tap Sounds, scroll down, then tap Reduce Loud Audio below Headphones.

  3. Turn on Reduce Loud Audio, then drag the slider.

    iPad analyzes your headphone audio and reduces any sound above the level you set.

    Note: If you set up Screen Time for family members, you can prevent them from changing the Reduce Loud Sounds level. Go to Settings 👁 Image
     > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Reduce Loud Sounds, then select Don’t Allow.

Get headphone audio notifications

You can find headphone notifications 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:

  1. Go to the Settings app 👁 Image
    on your iPad.

  2. Tap Sound, then scroll down to Headphones.

  3. Turn Headphone Notifications on or off.

In addition, you can use the Settings app to set a maximum decibel level that keeps your headphone audio at a comfortable level.

Headphone audio measurements are most accurate when using Apple or Beats headphones. Audio played through other headphones can be estimated based on the volume of your iPad.

Thanks for your feedback.