The Decibel Monitor
The Apple Watch features an integrated “Noise” app that utilizes the built-in microphone to constantly monitor the ambient decibel levels of your environment. By default, if the watch detects that you are in a loud environment (like a concert, a construction site, or a loud restaurant) for more than three minutes, it will buzz your wrist with a “Noise Alert” warning you of potential hearing damage. While medically well-intentioned, this constant background microphone monitoring drains battery life, and the alerts are incredibly distracting when you are already aware you are at a loud event. You must disable this automated audio analysis.
How to Turn Off Noise Alerts
You can permanently paralyze the background decibel daemon via the Noise settings.
- Open the Settings app directly on your Apple Watch (the grey gear icon).
- Scroll down the main list and tap on Noise.
- Tap on Noise Notifications.
- Scroll to the very top of the threshold list and select Off.
- Alternatively, to completely disable the background microphone sampling entirely, tap the back arrow, select Environmental Sound Measurements, and toggle the switch to Off.
Microphone Isolation
The change is instantaneous. The Apple Watch will completely terminate the background audio-sampling daemon. The watch will no longer attempt to mathematically analyze the volume of your surroundings. You can walk into a nightclub, stand next to a jet engine, or attend a rock concert, and the watch will remain absolutely silent. It is now strictly forbidden from sending you hearing-damage alerts, guaranteeing that your microphone remains inactive and your battery is preserved.