app
Sustained-noise alarms on iPhone — dB Pulse
dB Pulse includes free sustained-noise alarms that can notify you when measured sound stays above your chosen threshold. These are reminders during measurement, not guaranteed emergency alerts, calibrated exposure limits or a substitute for hearing protection.
Swipe to see the full table →
| Question | What to know |
|---|---|
| Free control | Enable Noise Alerts and choose a threshold. |
| Sustained condition | More than ten seconds above the chosen threshold. |
| Pro extension | Named advanced alarms with time windows. |
| Important limit | No guaranteed continuous background or emergency monitoring. |
Enable the basic noise alert
Open Settings and find Smart Threshold Alarms. Turn on Enable Noise Alerts and allow notifications when iOS asks. Choose an alert threshold that matches your reminder purpose. The app exposes a threshold control; its value is your chosen trigger, not proof that sound below it is safe.
Check notification permission in iOS if the alert never appears. Focus settings and other system conditions may affect how a notification is presented. Confirm the feature in an ordinary controlled setting before relying on it as part of a routine, without deliberately making the room dangerously loud to test it.
Understand sustained rather than instantaneous sound
The basic workflow looks for sound that remains above the threshold for more than ten seconds. That helps distinguish a sustained condition from a fleeting reading, but it also means the feature is not an impulse-noise detector. A short loud event can matter even when it never produces this particular alert.
The implementation also spaces alerts to avoid repeatedly notifying on the same condition. Silence after an alert does not establish that the room became quieter or that exposure ended. Look at the current measurement and decide what practical change is appropriate.
Put the microphone in a useful place
An alert can only act on the signal the app receives. A covered microphone or a phone left somewhere else may miss the sound relevant to you. Moving the phone closer to a source can trigger an alert without the source changing at all. Check placement before interpreting the threshold as a meaningful boundary.
Keep weighting, input route and calibration consistent if you compare reminders across days. If you connect earbuds or an external microphone, verify the active input again. An alarm setting does not automatically validate the accessory’s frequency response or sensitivity.
Know what the free feature includes
The basic sustained-noise alarm is free. Pro adds advanced named alarm profiles and optional time windows, which are useful when several routines need different thresholds. You do not need advanced profiles simply to try a basic sustained reminder.
Use the feature to draw attention to an ongoing condition, then check the environment. Do not use it for unattended overnight monitoring, an emergency warning or a complete occupational noise assessment. Phone and operating-system behavior can interrupt measurement or notifications. Certified equipment and an appropriate procedure are needed where a missed warning has safety or legal consequences.
Sources
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.