Save noise measurement sessions on iPhone — dB Pulse

Create a session deliberately

Open Meter and use its session control to begin saving a measurement. The screen distinguishes starting and stopping a session from simply looking at the live meter. At the end of your intended observation period, stop the session and check the Sessions tab for the entry.

Decide the start and finish around a real question. For example, compare the same portion of a rehearsal or the same machine cycle. A longer record is not automatically a better comparison if one session includes setup noise and the other starts after the source has settled.

Read the session detail

A saved entry can show when it began, its duration, weighting and minimum, average and maximum readings, together with a decibels-over-time chart. Read these as different views of the same observation rather than competing answers. The maximum highlights a high point; the timeline shows whether that high point was unusual.

Look at the shape before reducing a session to one number. A steadily running source and occasional bursts can produce very different experiences even when a summary happens to be similar. A chart can help describe that pattern, but it does not identify a source or diagnose the effect on hearing.

Separate saved data from complete coverage

Sessions persist across app launches, which makes returning to a previous observation practical. Persistence does not mean the phone measured every moment while the app was inactive. If the measurement was interrupted, keep that interruption in mind when you describe the record.

The app cannot recreate sound that never reached its microphone. Do not interpret a quiet-looking gap as proof of a quiet room. A session is a record of the app’s measurement workflow, not an independently verified account of the entire time period or everything heard by a particular person.

Understand recent versus unlimited history

The current free Sessions view exposes the most recent three entries and indicates when additional sessions are locked. Pro removes that history limit. Check the current app if you are deciding how much history you need; the important distinction is recent-session access versus access to the full saved collection.

Unlimited history is not a promise of infinite device storage or cloud backup. Keep copies of important results using an appropriate export workflow, and do not assume deleting the app or replacing a phone preserves a local archive. A plan upgrade changes access to features; it does not turn a phone into an evidentiary instrument.

Make repeated sessions comparable

Keep the microphone, placement and weighting the same. Record practical context such as whether the door was open, where the phone sat and what equipment was running. Pro session notes are useful for carrying that context with the record rather than trying to remember it days later.

If a setup changes, describe the change instead of presenting the records as a controlled before-and-after test. A different input device, moved microphone or different observation duration can explain a difference as readily as a changed room. Professional testing may require a much more specific procedure.

Choose an export for the recipient

A structured table is useful if you want to inspect samples in a spreadsheet. A Pro report is more convenient when a reader needs a human-readable summary and chart. Sharing either still needs a short explanation of what was measured and what limitations apply.

Saved history is useful for personal patterns, rehearsal notes or equipment comparisons. It does not establish certified accuracy, legal compliance or a safe exposure. Use calibrated equipment and qualified advice when the consequences depend on those conclusions.

Unlimited history with Pro

Unlimited history is a Pro feature within the same session-history workflow. It changes the history entitlement, not the microphone calibration or measurement quality. See the current in-app plan information for the limits of the installed version. Saved session titles, notes and polished report exports have their own Pro requirements.

Sources

• dB Pulse: Decibel Meter on the App Store
• dB Pulse app privacy policy

Phone and browser readings are estimates. For formal decisions, use the specified equipment and procedure; see the accuracy notes.

Try the next check

Noise dose calculator can help with this question. See the matching dB Pulse feature.