If you have been listening to loud music on your iPhone, chances are you have received a “Headphone Safety” notification that automatically lowers the volume. Although this feature aims to protect your hearing, it can be bothersome when using Bluetooth headphones or speakers. However, you can disable Apple’s “Headphone Safety” if it has been lowering your volume. Here are the steps to turn it off.
What is Headphone Safety?
Prolonged exposure to loud audio on headphones can harm your hearing. To mitigate this, the iPhone has a “Headphone Safety” feature that notifies you about potential hearing damage. Once you reach the recommended seven-day audio exposure limit, you will be notified that the volume has been turned down.
Additionally, the volume will automatically reduce the next time you plug in or connect your headphones via Bluetooth. Note that this limit only pertains to audio, and phone calls do not factor in your headphone audio exposure. If your iPhone is lowering the volume on incoming calls due to this feature, there is a solution provided below.
How to Turn Off Headphone Safety on iPhone
If you frequently listen to loud music using headphones, we advise against disabling the “Headphone Safety” feature on your iPhone. Listening to loud music for extended periods can gradually damage your hearing.
Instead, consider increasing the decibel level by using the “Reduce Loud Sounds” feature. This feature enables you to select a louder decibel level that suits your headphones.
Alternatively, if you prefer listening to audio using external Bluetooth speakers, Apple recommends changing your device type to “Speaker.” Doing so allows you to increase the volume without deactivating the “Headphone Safety” feature.
However, if you still wish to disable the “Headphone Safety” function, there are two ways to switch off the volume warning on your iPhone. Here’s how to do it:
Option 1:
- Launch the Settings app.
- Tap on “Sounds & Haptics.”
- Select “Headphone Safety.”
- Switch off “Headphone Notifications.”
Option 2:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap on “Accessibility.”
- Scroll down to the “Hearing” section and select “Audio/Visual.”
- Turn off “Headphone Notifications.”
How to Turn Off Headphone Safety on Locked iPhones
The “Headphone Safety” notification feature cannot be deactivated in some countries or regions globally. Additionally, only unlocked iPhones will display the slider to turn off headphone notifications. Nonetheless, there is a simple workaround.
If you are unable to disable the feature in your region, you can modify the Bluetooth device type. By changing the device type from “Headphone” to “Other,” you can prevent notifications and the automatic reduction of your headphones volume.
To modify the Bluetooth device type, follow these instructions:
- Go to your home screen and tap on “Settings.”
- Click on “Bluetooth.”
- Next, click the “I” information button adjacent to the device you wish to modify.
- Tap on “Device Type.”
- Select the desired device from the available options:
- Car Stereo
- Headphone
- Hearing Aid
- Speaker
- Other
If you wish to change the device type again in the future, repeat the above steps.
How to Enable/Disable Reduce Loud Sounds on iPhone
Rather than deactivating the “Headphone Safety” feature, you may want to consider enabling or disabling the “Reduce Loud Sounds” feature instead. This feature permits you to set a maximum level of decibels when it is turned on. The setting compares the decibels against a range. On the lower end, you can restrict the decibels to the volume level of a vacuum cleaner, while on the higher end, it can be limited to the level of an ambulance siren. Enabling this feature may reduce the frequency of “Headphone Safety” notifications that you receive.
To activate or deactivate the “Reduce Loud Sounds” feature on your iPhone, follow these instructions:
- Launch the Settings app.
- Tap on “Sounds & Haptics.”
- Select “Headphone Safety.”
- Swipe the button beside “Reduce Loud Sounds” to enable or disable the feature.
How to Stop iPhone From Silencing Calls
Some iPhone users experience the problem with their phone that diverts incoming calls to voicemail without ringing. If you are confident that “Do Not Disturb” is not active, you can attempt the following solutions:
First, ensure that you have not enabled “Call Forwarding” and have disabled “Silence Unknown Callers.” You can access both options here:
- Go to “Settings.”
- Tap on “Phone.”
- Scroll down and disable “Phone Call Forwarding.”
- Scroll down and disable “Silence Unknown Callers.”
“Silence Unknown Callers” redirects any call from an unknown number, including scammers and telemarketers, to voicemail. If you anticipate receiving legitimate calls from unknown numbers, it is preferable to keep this option disabled.
If the issue persists, check the “Screen Time” setting.
- Go to “Settings.”
- Tap on “Screen Time.”
- Select “Communication Limits” and enter the passcode if prompted.
- Ensure that “During Screen Time” and “During Downtime” are set to “Everyone.”
Enabling “Screen Time” can allow you to block certain phone calls “During Screen Time” and “During Downtime.” To avoid missing a call, you should set both options to “Everyone.”
If you are still experiencing problems, the most obvious place to check is “Do Not Disturb.” Ensure that it is turned off, and also verify that your volume is not set to zero.
