iPhone users often encounter the Headphone Safety notification as part of their ear protection against adverse audio exposure. Primarily, such a feature is very handy in ensuring headphones serve more benefits than harm. Nonetheless, the headphone protection on iPhone can be annoying, especially when the user feels the audio is okay. In such situations, you might have wondered how to turn off headphone safety on iPhone.
Not to worry, we've put together a straightforward guide on how to turn off this notification when it's not needed. Notably, the media audio volume reduces automatically whenever the headphone safety feature shows on the drop-down menu. Even so, you can increase the volume again, but after encountering an audio inconvenience. So, in light of the current context, let's have an in-depth insight into the iPhone headphones safety.
What is Headphone Safety?
Using personalized audio devices like headphones or iPods is convenient but risky to the ears, especially when there is loud exposure for long. On this account, iPhone, Apple Watch and iPod touch come with a headphone welfare feature for protecting your ears against loud audio. One thing to appreciate about this hearing protection feature is that it's objective rather than random.
Speaking of objectivity, headphone protection goes on after a user has exceeded the recommended 7-day exposure limit. As such, this notification tends to round off the exposure limit as an outcome of your listening habits. For instance, if your audio exposure goes above 80 decibels (dB) for an extended period of 40 hours within one whole week, this headphone notifications alert will be triggered.
Moreover, the headphone protection function under the health app doesn't just notify you of ear-damaging sound levels. Ideally, such a notification serves as a prompt to reduce your audio's volume. Even more, the iPhone goes ahead and automatically lowers the volume the next time you connect your phone to an audio device, either via Bluetooth or headphones. Nonetheless, nothing about this feature limits you from increasing the volume levels after the alert.
In some cases, some users attribute silencing of incoming calls to the headphone welfare alert, but it's not true. Therefore, headphone audio exposure is important in upholding healthy listening habits. However, this audio safety alert might be inconvenient, like reducing the volume of your Bluetooth speaker. Ultimately, you can manually override the headphone protection if you find it inconvenient.
How to Turn Off the Headphone Safety Notification
In the event you intend on wearing headphones, there are two approaches to turning off the headphone safety on iPhone. Either of these processes will turn off this notification. Consequently, your iPhone won't monitor your hearing exposure and won't issue weekly audio exposure alerts.
Process 1
- First, access the 'Settings' menu on your iPhone.
- Then select 'Sounds and Haptics'.
- Under its properties, you will find the 'Headphone Safety' toggle
- Lastly, turn off 'Headphone Safety Notifications' button to turn it off or even back on if you change your mind.
Process 2
- You can also select the 'Settings' app
- Then tap 'Accessibility'.
- Select 'Hearing' sub-menu
- Under 'Hearing', tap on 'Audio/Visual'.
- Subsequently, turn 'Headphone Notifications' toggle button off.
How to Turn Off Headphone Protection on Locked iPhones
Notably, iPhones in some countries and regions remain locked for some features, meaning they are limited in functionality. As such, headphone welfare notifications cannot be manually overridden in such cases. Ideally, the toggle slider will be disabled such that you can't select headphone notifications. Unfortunately, this limitation can be a bummer due to constant volume reductions despite being a way of maintaining healthy hearing habits.
Nevertheless, such situations aren't hopeless. Yes, you still won't be able to toggle off the headphone protection button. But you can use the workaround of changing the device type to 'Other' from 'Headphone'. So eventually, you will solve the inconveniences of headphone protection alerts.
Changing Bluetooth Device Type
If you are wondering how to turn off headphone safety on iPhone by changing the Bluetooth device type, here is a simple guide. Ideally, change the Bluetooth gadget to speaker either for Apple or non-Apple Bluetooth devices like AKG Wireless Headphones or Sony Extra Bass Earbuds. In both instances, you will manage to listen to higher volume levels even with a disabled Headphone notifications toggle button.
Process
- On your iPhone or iPod touch 'Settings' app from your home screen
- Tap the Bluetooth tab
- Under the audio device you want to change, click on the 'I' (information or details) icon on the right of your device.
- Then got to the 'Device Type'.
- Then choose from the options: Car Stereo, Headphone, Hearing Aid, Speaker or Other.
Consequently, turning off the headphone option will automatically disable the headphone notifications. Nonetheless, your iPhone might occasionally be trapped in the headphone mode, making the device assume headphones are plugged in. Accordingly, you can disable the headphone mode by cleaning the headphone jack port or restarting your device.
How to Enable Reduce Loud Sounds on iPhone
Besides the safety notification for headphones, you can also engage the 'Reduce Loud Sounds' on your iPhone, Apple Watch or iPod touch. This alternative for safe hearing habits will automatically lower the volume based on a pre-set decibel level. In most cases, disabling the Headphone protection mode is not advisable, especially if you prefer loud music. Instead, you can engage noise reduction settings by pre-setting a certain decibel level.
Always remember that exposing your ear to loud audio for long may cause hearing impairments. By default, an iPhone will come with a decibel level of 85 dB. Moreover, besides setting the decibel limit, you have to enable this feature under settings. Not to worry, you can set the limit as low as the noise of a vacuum cleaner and as high as a siren.
In light of the headphone protection alerts, engaging this setting button reduces the frequency of receiving the safety notifications. Furthermore, if you wish not to use this feature for the headphone volume, you can toggle it off. Without further ado, here is the process for engaging this setting:
- Access your 'Settings' app
- Tap 'Sounds and Haptics'
- Then tap 'Headphone Safety'.
- Swipe the 'Reduce Loud Sounds' toggle button
- Also, you can adjust the sound slider based on your sound limit
How To Stop iPhone From Silencing Calls
Sometimes, your iPhone might have the tendency of silencing calls, and this is often mistaken to be caused by the headphone protection feature. However, this is not the case. Silencing of calls often happens when 'Do Not Disturb' is engaged or when call forwarding is engaged. Before you blame this inconvenience of the headphone welfare feature, check the following:
- First, ensure 'Call forwarding', and 'Silence Unknown Callers' is not engaged.
- You can find both these features under settings.
Considerably, silencing unknown callers is efficient in diverting phone calls by scammers and telemarketers to voicemail. However, if you think you can receive a legitimate unknown call like for a job interview, it is best to keep this function off. In the eventuality that these features are set appropriately, and your iPhone still silences calls, here's another workaround:
- Check your 'Screen Time'
- Find this under 'Settings'
- Tap on 'Screen Time'
- Browse on 'Communication Limits'
- Check 'During Screen Time' and 'During Downtime'
- Ensure you set both Screen Time and Downtime for everyone to avoid muting some calls unnecessarily.
If that doesn’t solve your issue, the other setting to check is Screen Time.
- In Settings
- Tap Screen Time
- Then tap Communication Limits and enter the passcode if prompted.
- During Screen Time and During Downtime should be set to Everyone.
- Finally, ensure your call volume is turned to an audible level.
Check Real-Time Headphone Audio Levels
Besides waiting for audio alerts while wearing headphones, you regularly monitor your headphone audio levels. Such an act will ensure you maintain a safe audio range. To do this, check the following tips:
- First, open the control center on your Apple Watch and tap on the Hearing icon.
- For your iPhone or iPod touch open by swiping down the top-right screen corner and tapping on the Hearing icon.
Finally, ensure you constantly review your notifications panels to ensure your gadget is personalized to your needs. You can do regular monitors by accessing the Health app on your iPhone or iPod touch. To confirm your audio notification status, open the browse tab and tap on hearing and headphone notifications. Now you know how to turn off headphone safety on iPhone.
Frequently Asked Questions on Headphone Audio on iPhone
1. How loud is too loud for headphones?
Medically and according to experts, safe audio for human ears is between 60-85 decibels. This range poses minimal risk to your ears. However, if you take pleasure in listening to loud music around 100 decibels, then restrict your listening to a maximum of 15 minutes continuously. On the part of the noise, you can invest in the best noise-canceling headphones.
Image Credit: candid.technology
