How you care for your ears today can shape how well you hear in the future. Noise-induced hearing loss is irreversible, but the good news is that it’s preventable. By adopting safe listening habits now, you can help protect your hearing for years to come. Before you press play, here are some simple ways to listen safely:
Listening at high volumes for extended periods can damage the delicate hair cells in your inner ear. Follow the 60/60 rule – listen at no more than 60% of the maximum volume for no more than 60 minutes at a time. If people around you can hear your music, it’s too loud.
Just like your muscles need rest after exercise, your ears need breaks from continuous sound exposure. Every hour of listening, take a 10-15 minute break to reduce the risk of hearing fatigue.
Noise-cancelling headphones reduce background noise, so you don’t need to turn the volume up as high to hear clearly.
Damaged headphones can lead to sound distortion or require higher volume levels to compensate. Check your headphones regularly to ensure they work properly.
If you're exposed to loud sounds for extended periods (such as concerts or construction sites), wear earplugs or noise-cancelling earmuffs to protect your ears.
Just as you monitor your vision, check your hearing regularly to catch any changes early.
Your device has built-in tools to help monitor and control your listening habits, reducing the risk of hearing damage.
In Settings, open Control Center, tap the Add button, scroll down to Hearing Accessibility and select Hearing. You can view your headphone audio levels in decibels on the Headphone Level meter.
Go to the Health app, tap Hearing, then Headphone Audio Levels. Review your headphone use over time and adjust the time span for better insight.
In Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Safety, enable Reduce Loud Audio and adjust the slider to set a safe volume limit.
Your iPhone/iPad will alert you if audio levels may harm your hearing. Review these notifications on the Summary screen of the Health app.
Many Android devices also offer hearing protection features, such as volume limit settings and real-time audio monitoring. You can find these options in Settings > Sound & Vibration or under your device’s accessibility settings.
Protecting your hearing today means better hearing for years to come. Your future self will thank you!