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How to Change the Headphone Volume Limit on iPhone: Set a Maximum

Use Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Safety to enable Reduce Loud Audio and choose a maximum level for headphone audio.
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To cap headphone audio on iPhone, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Safety, turn on Reduce Loud Audio, then set the maximum level with the slider. iPhone reduces headphone sound above the level you choose.

Set the headphone audio limit

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Tap Sounds & Haptics, then scroll to Headphone Safety.

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  3. Turn on Reduce Loud Audio.

  4. Drag the slider to your preferred maximum decibel level. Apple’s guide shows 85 dB as an example selection; it is not a required setting or a universal recommendation. Apple’s iPhone guide to headphone audio levels explains the control.

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The slider only applies after you enable Reduce Loud Audio. Menu names or availability can vary with software version, language, or region. If you do not see Headphone Safety, search for that phrase in Settings.

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What the limit affects—and what it does not

Reduce Loud Audio applies to headphone audio, not the iPhone’s built-in speaker. Speaker audio has separate controls, including a speaker Volume Limit and Reduce Loud Sounds options. See Apple’s guide to adjusting iPhone volume for those controls.

Headphone level measurements are most accurate with Apple or Beats headphones. For other headphones, iPhone may estimate the level based on the phone’s volume, so the measurement may be less precise. Apple documents this distinction.

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How Reduce Loud Audio differs from headphone notifications

Reduce Loud Audio lowers headphone audio above the maximum you select. Headphone Notifications instead alert you after loud exposure over time; they are not the slider or its limit. Apple gives over 80 dB for a total of 40 hours within the last 7 days as an example notification threshold, not as a recommended slider setting or a universal safe-listening limit. Notification settings may not be available to turn off in some countries or regions because of regulations and safety standards. Apple’s headphone notification guidance describes the alerts.

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