Listening to music provides an endless number of benefits: It can make time go by faster on commutes, provide motivation during workouts, help you de-stress after a long day, or simply put you in a good mood. While headphones and earbuds make the portable listening experience convenient, that doesn’t mean they’re always safe for your ears.
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According to the CDC, 50% of young people listen to their music at an unsafe volume. If you’re listening at full volume, irreparable hearing loss can occur in just a few minutes. The best way to protect your hearing when listening with headphones is to always keep the volume down. If you tend to be trigger-happy with the volume button, iPhone has some tricks to keep yourself in check to avoid permanent damage to your ears.
According to the CDC, 50% of young people listen to their music at an unsafe volume. If you’re listening at full volume, irreparable hearing loss can occur in just a few minutes.
Fortunately, there are a few ways to keep your listening habits in check and protect your hearing.
1Check your current headphone audio levels
Don’t just listen to audio, but volume warnings, too
When listening on an iPhone, Apple has made it possible tocheck your headphone audio levelswhile you’re listening. This way, you can actively check whether your’re listening at a volume safe for your hearing. To access this function:
This function also offers Live Listen, which uses the phone’s microphone to pick up outside noise while listening, making it easier to have a conversation or hear when your train stop is approaching.
2Check your audio volumes over time
Make sure you’re consistently listening at a safe volume
you’re able to also check how your headphone volume levels have been over a period of time in Apple’s Health app. To access this data:
Click on the information circle in the top right corner to learn more about what a healthy noise exposure limit looks like.
How loud is too loud?
Loud noises can damage your hearing much more quickly than quieter ones. Fortunately, Apple provides numerous convenient ways to check your decibel (dB) exposure and ensure you’re not listening in the “too loud” category.
Apple’s exposure limits work on a 7-day period, allowing up to 40 hours of listening at 80 dB in a week, but only 4 hours at 90 dB, and 24 minutes at 100 dB.
3Set a volume limit
Think ahead
Setting a volume limit on your iPhone can ensure that you’re always listening at a safe level. To limit the noise your headphones will allow:
Once this setting is activated, your headphone volume will be automatically adjusted to the decibel amount you set it at.
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4Pay attention to audio exposure notifications
Listen to Apple’s suggestions
Apple will issue notifications titled “Volume Should be Turned Down” if you’ve exceeded their audio exposure limit.
These notifications mean that if you continue listening at high volumes through headphones, it may cause permanent damage to your hearing.You can see the exposure limits that Apple has set for iPhone users in the Health app.
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Headphones have allowed people to privately enjoy music wherever they may be. It’s easy to get lost in a song and turn it up to full volume, but luckily Apple has its many features to keep your listening volume in check.
