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How to turn off Headphone Safety on iPhone

Hi, does anybody know how to turn the headphone safety setting off on the new iso update???


cheers.


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone 11, iOS 14

Posted on Nov 10, 2020 12:41 AM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Dec 3, 2020 9:54 AM

Some of us have been handed a nasty surprise from Apple after recently updating to IOS 14.2. Prior to iOS 14.2 our phones had a feature called headphone safety which notified us that the volume of our headphones was too high and lowered it back down autonomously. This feature was mandated for EU states but it was optional for everywhere else, essentially if you lived outside of Europe, you were able to turn this feature off.

Once you update your phone to iOS 14.2 there is no longer an option to disable this headphone safety feature, whether you live in the EU or outside of Europe (I live in Canada). Okay, so what’s the big deal? Well, first thing, ethically speaking, medical concerns such as hearing loss, which this feature is trying to prevent, are essentially a personal choice, which should not have any interference with a Tech company.

More importantly, the feature has been designed terribly. It cannot differentiate between Bluetooth headsets, Bluetooth speakers, and Bluetooth receivers for your car radio. We typically listen to music quite loud on Bluetooth speakers, since they are typically further away from us, however since the phone cannot differentiate between a Bluetooth speaker and Bluetooth headphones, it assumes your listening to headphones too loud and lowers the volume for you to 50%. If you higher the volume manually it will continue to lower it every 20-30 minutes. This experience becomes dangerous when driving as it forces you to either pull over or reach for your phone and fiddle with the buttons while driving, which can have dangerous consequences.

We have tried reaching out to apple, and we were met with disappointing results. The recommended help was to submit your feedback to apples feedback page: https://www.apple.com/feedback/ Upon accessing the feedback page, there isn’t even an option to report any feedback for iOS 14.2 bugs/ features.

Shockingly, posts submitted to the apple community boards/forums kept being deleted, and I was personally threatened to have my apple ID deleted and ISP blocked if I continued to raise awareness in regards to this issue. This is truly a first for Apple, in 13 years that I’ve been a customer, I never thought I would get threatened this way. So one must assume there is no help coming, no consideration, no willingness to engage in discourse by Apple in regards to this with the impacted users.

Apples mythological existence was largely propelled by the introduction of the iPod, a device that made it easy for us to enjoy music, how we wanted, where we wanted. Today, amongst so many limitations due to the global pandemic, all we really ask is to please, let us enjoy our music uninterrupted, un-convoluted, we need this right now, for some of us, music is the only thing we have left to keep us afloat.

Please allow those who are not within the EU the ability to turn this feature off; we are all conscientious adults able to manage our hearing.

This is not a smear campaign against Apple, we just want to be heard, much like we just want to hear our music.


[Edited by Moderator]

1,120 replies

Dec 9, 2020 8:14 AM in response to Davebolton1966

Davebolton1966 wrote:

I’m hoping that people at apple are reading this and fix it in the next update so we can either leave it on or switch it off

They're NOT. This is a user to user only forum which Apple does not participate in.


Send your feedback to Apple via this link if you want them to hear your thoughts --> Feedback - iPhone - Apple

Dec 10, 2020 8:39 AM in response to debraelizabeth

debraelizabeth wrote:

I have every right to express my opinion as a consumer as does everyone else on here , we also have the right to discuss it. Apple wasn’t upfront nor honest and as what they did begins to affect more users, it will gain more media attention and more upset iphone consumers.

Please show me where I said you should not express your opinion.


I will note that this is a user-to-user technical support forum with only limited participation from Apple. So, Apple is not getting the benefit of your opinion here. For that, you should use the feedback link.


Product Feedback - Apple


Also, you may want to review the Terms of Use to which you agreed to clarify what is and is not acceptable here (hint: freedom of speech does not apply):


Apple Support Communities Use Agreement - Apple Community

Dec 14, 2020 6:33 AM in response to VitesseEFI

VitesseEFI wrote:

Hostility is not that surprising given that the function of a very expensive device has been significantly degraded without warning.

While it may not be surprising, it's still rude, especially when directed at a fellow user who is almost unfailingly civil and volunteering their time to help you.

Most of the more interesting posts are being censored out now. Really big mismatch between what turns up in the email notifications and what can be found online. Most are not rude or hostile. Mine wasn’t

“We’ve removed your post How to turn off Headphone Safety on iPhone because it contained either feedback or a feature request that was not constructive.”

Discussion of Apple's moderation policy is another way to get yours post deleted.

To be clear apple, I would simply like my phone to function as it did before the last update. That is, I would like to be able to maintain the volume at a high enough level to properly drive my car Bluetooth system (roughly 85% of Max) without it being shut down. Without this, one of the main things I use it for is compromised.

Apple doesn't read here for suggestions or feedback. You can use the Contact Support link in the upper right corner of every page of these forums. Or, you can use the feedback link:


Product Feedback - Apple

Whatever happened to “the customer is always right “?

What John Wanamaker meant with that sentence was that customer satisfaction was important, not that customer should get whatever they want.

Dec 14, 2020 2:26 PM in response to bondo86

Unfortunately like everyone is reporting I confirm nothing has changed in 14.3.


I put on my Aeroplex Aftershockz bone conductive headphones on and tested the earplug inbuilt EQ setting and got the notification around every 20 minutes. The outdoor EQ as always is not as bad as it can be lowered down to 75/70% volume which puts it in the 4 hour mark. Though I can see that no matter what EQ I switch on the headphones itself the iPhone is still reporting the same db levels.


It feels at this stage that I may have to go buy a new pair of in-ear headphones to get a more accurate volume but I would be very vigilant about what I am going to buy as I am sure power outputs varies for various wireless headphones.


I have resubmitted feedback on 14.3 like I did on 14.2.1 yet there is no 14.3 option or 14.2.1 still. Anyone that has not submitted should do so too.


https://www.apple.com/feedback

Dec 15, 2020 6:30 AM in response to urbncwby76

urbncwby76 wrote:

Surprise surprise... as expected iOS 14.3 final was just released after so many betas and two release candidates and Apple has not bothered to even scratch the surface with regards to this annoyance.


That's because you are assuming it is a bug and not the way Apple has decided they will comply with French law and other EU mandates and possibly US liability laws.


As has been stated, if you are unhappy, the only way Apple will know is if you leave them feedback:


Feedback - iPhone - Apple


Dec 15, 2020 8:52 AM in response to bondo86

Hi bondo86, 


Please take a look at this article: Headphone notifications on your iPhone, iPod touch, or Apple Watch 


If you scroll down to the section titled “Turn headphone notifications on or off”, there are a few steps that will walk you through turning off Headphone Safety notifications. 


If this option is not available for you, there is a message at the bottom of that section which says “Due to regulations and safety standards, headphone notifications can’t be turned off in certain countries or regions.”


Thank you!

Dec 16, 2020 3:31 PM in response to enigma_0Z

enigma_0Z wrote:

Utterly. Ridiculous. Maybe I should go get an Android and return my new iPhone.

You should always buy the device you think best meets your needs. Threats to go Android on a user to user only forum, doesn't matter at all to any of us users and get's you nothing.


You should tell Apple however, what you think, by providing feedback to them where it will actually be read by Apple --> Feedback - iPhone - Apple

Dec 20, 2020 12:42 PM in response to urbncwby76

Please everyone, report this as a bug to Apple. The more people who do, the more chance that they might do something.


Report it as a bug in IOS for using external speakers which have their own volume control (They are correct when they say there is an EU law about protecting hearing with a headset, but this shouldn't also be forced on users of external speakers)


https://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

Dec 21, 2020 3:54 AM in response to SystemaEncephale

The French law codifies the CENELEC standards.


For other EU nations it is a recommendation, but devices must pass the CENELEC standards to be certified as "safe" to sell in the EU without extensive safety testing of their own:


Now all personal music players sold in the EU after February 2013 are expected to have a default sound limit of 85dB. 

The user can choose to override the limit so that the sound level can be increased up to maximum 100dB. If the user overrides the limit, warnings about the risks must be repeated every 20 hours of listening time.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-21294537


I give more detail in this post:


https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252019254?answerId=254120885022#254120885022

Dec 23, 2020 7:58 AM in response to debraelizabeth

debraelizabeth wrote:

Not sure your purpose here other than to constantly bully people who are unhappy about this, seriously, if you have nothing constructive to offer why bother to keep being rude to people

Telling you something you disagree with is neither rude nor bullying. You are certainly not obligated to read anything I post. I promise I won't be offended if you don't.


Oh, and definitely leave feedback for Apple:


Product Feedback - Apple

How to turn off Headphone Safety on iPhone

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