IPhone Turning volume down automatically

[tjamesbo]

Just recently Sound Haptics has started reducing the volume in my Iphone automatically Its extremely irritating as i have to reach for the volume control on the phone and turn it up again this happens several times on a 2 hour journey . Having researched it on the web and apple forums this is a feature which on the latest IOS cannot be turned off ( it actually says this on the settings even if headphone safety isnt on )
I have nothing plugged into the headphones its on bluetooth so its a speaker not headphones !
I m not prepared to wait till the next services to turn it back up so i do it on the move, this feature is prompting me to act in an unsafe manner and I strongly resent it, after years of being with the iphone i'm beginning to think its had its day. I only have the affordable iphone 6 plus and until now was satisfied although i used to love itunes the way apple developed it and changed it and hid the store and pushed apple music had made me a spotify fan
There are also safety implications of suddenly turnng the volume down when using it as a satnav . How safe is that for your ears when your staring at the screen instead of the road because you cant hear it ??
If apple dont sort this i can see me moving to samsung in the christmas sales i wont put up with it for long I m tempted to write to a few national papers I m sure its a good story / feature to run whatever your views
and as i said its not even got any headphones plugged in !
and if i was hard of hearing ( which I am ) then its discriminating against the disabled a potential court case
Grrrrrrrrrr!

 

[clk320x]

There are also safety implications of suddenly turnng the volume down when using it as a satnav . How safe is that for your ears when your staring at the screen instead of the road because you cant hear it ??
If apple dont sort this i can see me moving to samsung in the christmas sales i wont put up with it for long I m tempted to write to a few national papers I m sure its a good story / feature to run whatever your views
and as i said its not even got any headphones plugged in !
and if i was hard of hearing ( which I am ) then its discriminating against the disabled a potential court case
Grrrrrrrrrr!

As an iPhone user myself I have never heard of such an issue happening to myself or anyone I know... I believe there’s an issue with your settings or device.

 

[MercedesDriver]

Try this:
Settings->Sounds & Haptics->Headphone Safety->Reduce Loud Sounds switch to OFF
or
Settings->Do Not Disturb->Do Not Disturb While Driving->Activate->Manually and switch Off Activate With CarPlay

 

[Deleted member 149005]

If it has too loud to listen it from the crappy phone speaker, there is probably an override to prevent to unit overheating or draining the battery.

What are the relative volumes on the phone and the head unit? I use a max of 50% on the phone and then adjust to suit via the head unit.

 

[tjamesbo]

1 Reduce loud sounds is already off
2 Do not disturb is Activate manually and activate with car play is off

This is a big issue for me I turn on the engine then my music unless i'm in the V8 so i listen all the time the volume is set high because thats whats needed over the bluetooth connection to the head unit to drive the woofers and tweeters
i can understand if a headphone jack was plugged in even then it could be line out to a speaker or head unit
I stand to be corrected but from my research so far there doesnt seem to be a way round this
RE the Telegraph :

Apple customers have complained that the iPhone maker is automatically reducing the volume of their music if it deems it too loud.

A “headphone safety” feature in the company's latest operating system, iOS 14, has been launched to protect a user’s hearing by remotely cutting the volume of music.

Apple will send a notification if the decibel level reaches over 90 decibels for an extended period - equivalent to the sound of a lawnmower.

Since 2013, the European Union has implemented rules that prevent headphones from going over volumes of 100 decibels. It also asks that manufacturers set a default limit of 85 decibels, although users are allowed to override this.

However, Apple’s new setting causes the volume for iPhone or AirPod headphone users to drop automatically after it hits over 90 decibels for more than four hours a week.

The block on loud music does not come in instantly, but if a user exceeds a seven-day “limit” then they can see their music volume dramatically cut.

Apple’s headphone safety setting says: “To protect your hearing, your iPhone will measure headphone audio levels. If you exceed the recommended 7-day limit, a notification is sent and the volume is turned down. These notifications cannot be switched off.”

The move has frustrated Apple customers who listen to loud music, have jobs with large amounts of background noise, or are older and prefer to listen at higher volumes. Some have vented on Apple customer forums about the new setting.
“No matter how much I lower the volume I still get the notification,” said one user. One Twitter user accused Apple of being a “nanny”.
Another user complained that when they connected their iPhone to their car audio via Bluetooth, Apple also stepped in to correct their volume levels. The user said: “In my car every 15 [minutes] music turns down to 50pc. Please Apple fix this.” Others said it also affected their Bluetooth speakers.
In response to customer queries on social media, Apple said: “Due to regulations and safety standards, headphone notifications can’t be turned off in certain countries or regions.”

Apple has long trodden a fine line between customers who want extra volume and concerns about damage to hearing.
In 2006, it was hit by a hearing loss class action in California over the volume of its iPod headphones, claiming “millions of customers have had their hearing put at risk” due to a lack of information. The claim was ultimately dismissed on appeal in 2009.
Apple did not respond to requests for comment.
The World Health Organisation warned last year that one billion young people are at risk of hearing loss due to constant use of headphones with smartphones and other gadgets.
The WHO called for “certain features like automatic volume reduction and parental control of the volume” to be added to headphones and devices.
Apple introduced the decibel limits on its Apple Watch last year with its Noise app. Sumbul Desai, Apple’s head of health, said in June 2019 the Apple Watch was able to listen to sounds around users to warn them if sounds in their environment were dangerously loud.
I think there will be a big backlash against this unfortunately I'm usually right
The only solution i can see is somehow to get the bluetooth not to be seen as a headphone but even then apple big brother will no doubt still cut in

Boyd

 

[tjamesbo]

If it has too loud to listen it from the crappy phone speaker, there is probably an override to prevent to unit overheating or draining the battery.

What are the relative volumes on the phone and the head unit? I use a max of 50% on the phone and then adjust to suit via the head unit.

Goes to command radio via Bluetooth FM transmitter needs to be set well above 50% to hear due to
1 my hearing I'm 64 its been slightly down since i was 25
2 now have some age related loss
3 My Set up of Hertz woofers and tweeters driven from comand (I havent tried it on the comand line input but that means physically connecting every time i cant see it making much of a difference )
4 Possiblysome amplification loss as it goes via the bluetooth FM transmitter
I can see me changing the phone unless it comes in for all manufacturers or the head unit for something with more welly so apples safe levels are sufficient but i am tiring of apples current direction

 

[tjamesbo]

Apple Support

@AppleSupport
·
24 Nov

Thanks for the screenshot. Due to regulations and safety standards, headphone notifications can’t be turned off in certain countries or regions. If you have any further questions, meet us in DM using the link below.

 

[Gollom]

Just recently Sound Haptics has started reducing the volume in my Iphone automatically Its extremely irritating as i have to reach for the volume control on the phone and turn it up again this happens several times on a 2 hour journey . Having researched it on the web and apple forums this is a feature which on the latest IOS cannot be turned off ( it actually says this on the settings even if headphone safety isnt on )
I have nothing plugged into the headphones its on bluetooth so its a speaker not headphones !
I m not prepared to wait till the next services to turn it back up so i do it on the move, this feature is prompting me to act in an unsafe manner and I strongly resent it, after years of being with the iphone i'm beginning to think its had its day. I only have the affordable iphone 6 plus and until now was satisfied although i used to love itunes the way apple developed it and changed it and hid the store and pushed apple music had made me a spotify fan
There are also safety implications of suddenly turnng the volume down when using it as a satnav . How safe is that for your ears when your staring at the screen instead of the road because you cant hear it ??
If apple dont sort this i can see me moving to samsung in the christmas sales i wont put up with it for long I m tempted to write to a few national papers I m sure its a good story / feature to run whatever your views
and as i said its not even got any headphones plugged in !
and if i was hard of hearing ( which I am ) then its discriminating against the disabled a potential court case
Grrrrrrrrrr!

@Akadan777 - any relevance in this thread?

 

[Deleted member 149005]

Why can’t your use the line out on the phone to the aux socket?

A wired connection is always better than Bluetooth, especially via a crappy FM transmitter - I assume you are plugging the FM transmitter into the phone

 

[tjamesbo]

at the moment the phone bluetooths to the transmitter and it FM modulates to the comand radio and it works brilliantly and no manual connections required I have tried the Line connection and it needs a similar volume i suspect the line connection will do the same if it cant tell bluetooth from a set of headphones i presume it will see a lineout ( headphone socket ) as the same, but worth a try , its driving me bananas sometimes the phone / computer/ apple is trying to be too clever whats wrong with a simple volume control we're in charge not the bl**dy phone / apple

 

[Alex225]

It appears this is a feature of the latest iOS whereby it realises you've been naughty playing your music too loud and reduces the volume to spare your earholes. Quiet frankly it's the sh!ttest feature they've ever put on their devices and I hope they make it something you can turn of ASAP!

I listen to music on my earphones when I'm washing the car and if I commute into the office. It seems to recognise I've had the volume up and turns it down the message is :

Stupid thing is that firstly, if I want to deafen myself I will and also it doesn't seem to define the difference between a pair of earphones and a Bluetooth connection so a hindrance when paired to a car radio .

 

[tjamesbo]

Exactly how I feel i know I have a bluetooth boombox we use for outside Rocjk n Roll dancing no doubt it will assume its headphones and reduce the volume if it does because i havent found away round it then thats it for the iphone samsung or something else here we come there must be thosands of people that bluetooth to speakers and use high volumes thats a lot of potential lost business

 

[SG94]

Why can’t your use the line out on the phone to the aux socket?

A wired connection is always better than Bluetooth, especially via a crappy FM transmitter - I assume you are plugging the FM transmitter into the phone

Doesn’t help. This new feature affects all outputs. I listen to the radio via wired speakers in my home office and this keeps dropping the volume every few minutes.

I can only see this going one way, Apple will be made to find a method to make this optional while complying with regulations. As a previous poster stated, many many people use their phones for music in the car and this feature is forcing people to be unsafe.

 

[st13phil]

Just recently Sound Haptics has started reducing the volume in my Iphone automatically

Apple have now provided a fix in iOS 14.4 which includes a setting to specify a device type for third-party Bluetooth-connected audio devices so that Headphone Audio Level measurements can be taken correctly: