A very important feature released in watchOS 6, is the new Noise App. Here’s what it does and how to use it.
When Apple introduced Noise Monitoring for the Apple Watch in watchOS 6, many were skeptical about how accurately it could actually track the sound levels around you. Surprisingly, the Apple Watch proved to be very close to real decibel meters. It constantly came within a few decibels of what the instrument was showing, which is amazing seeing as the microphones on the device are very small compared to a decibel meter.
Your Apple Watch constantly tracks noise levels in your environment, to make sure that you’re not exposing yourself to loud sounds. If you do get into a loud sound exposure zone, at 90 decibels, your watch will tap your wrist to let you know that the noise can affect your hearing. This is great, as it lets people be more aware of how much they’re being exposed to noisy environments.
For quick viewing of noise levels, you can set the feature as a complication on watch faces. The noise level bar actively refreshes to offer relevant noise level data. You can also navigate to to built-in noise app on watchOS 6, to gain more insights there. Your noise level exposure will be saved in the Health App, so you’ll be able to keep track of you often you’re exposed to loud sound levels.
For reference the World Health Organization says this about sound levels:
- 80 decibels, Limit: About 5 hours / day
- 85 decibels, Limit: About 2 hours / day
- 90 decibels, Limit: About 30 minutes / day
- 95 decibels, Limit: About 10 minutes / day
- 100 decibels, Limit: About 3 minutes / day
Note that to access this feature, you’ll need to have an Apple Watch Series 4 or newer with watchOS 6 running.
The Noise app is a great way for people to improve their hearing. It offers interesting insights into a part of your day that you wouldn’t normally know much about. Overall, people has really appreciated the Noise App on Apple Watch.
Do you use noise monitoring on your Apple Watch?