How to use Noise app to measure noise levels with Apple Watch

It’s a very noisy world out there and volunteering for good health requires increasing awareness about noise-induced hearing loss. Most Smartphones and wearable devices like Apple Watch come equipped with built-in electronic sensors that measure phenomena such as sound, light, motion, and more! In this activity, we’ll see how you can measure noise levels with Apple Watch.

Use Noise app to measure noise levels with Apple Watch

You can keep a tab on the decibel level with watchOS's Noise app. It can help you find how quiet is a library or how loud is a truck roaring by? In short, it can help you measure noise levels. Here’s How!

1. Tap the My Watch tab
2. Tap Noise
3. Tap Noise threshold
4. Select Decibel level
5. Measure sound levels around you

Apple Watch, when configured to determine the loudness of different sounds in your environment, will periodically measure it throughout the day. If the average sound level reaches or exceeds a chosen decibel threshold, your Watch will notify you. Here's how!

How do you measure sound on Apple Watch?

Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.

Tap the My Watch tab and choose the Noise option or open the Noise app on your Apple Watch and tap Enable to turn on monitoring.

Then, select Noise Threshold and set a decibel level (since the sound intensity is measured in units known as decibels). Studies reveal long-term exposure to sounds above 80 decibels can lead to permanent damage.

Once, you’ve set up the Noise app, you can open the app to measure sound levels around you. For example, you can check

• Headphone Audio Levels
• Environmental Sound Levels
• Noise Notifications

Complete information related to the above items will be visible under the Hearing category in the Health app on your iPhone.

Alternatively, you can add a Noise complication to your watch face to view this information briefly.

If you would like the Apple Watch to stop measuring the noise levels, open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.

Then, go to Noise and tap it.

Choose ‘Environmental Sound Measurements’.

Turn off ‘Measure Sounds’.

It is important to mention here that this activity requires access and use of the microphone. However, it does not record or save any sounds. Measurements are suspended temporarily when a microphone or speaker is put to some other use (calling someone). Also, read our earlier posts - How to use Theatre Mode in Apple Watch and make all Apple Watch Home Screen icons appear the same in size.