Audio/Visual

Headphone Accommodations

• Adjust Headphone Audio Settings on iPhone: Amplify soft sounds and adjust certain frequencies to suit your hearing with supported Apple and Beats headphones. This helps make music, movies, phone calls, and podcasts sound clearer and more crisp.
  • To set up Headphone Accommodations, go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Headphone Accommodations and turn it on.
  • Click on Custom Audio Setup and follow the onscreen instructions or manually set any of the following:
    • Tune Audio For: Choose Balanced Tone, Vocal Range, Brightness, or Audiogram (if available).
    • Level: Choose Slight, Moderate, or Strong amplification of soft sounds.
    • Phone: Apply audio settings to phone calls.
    • Media: Apply audio settings to media playback.
    • Transparency Mode (available with AirPods Pro): Turn on Custom Transparency Mode, then adjust the amplification, balance, tone, and ambient noise reduction. You can also turn on Conversation Boost to focus on a person talking in front of you.
    • To preview audio settings, click on Play Sample.
  • You can use an audiogram to customize audio settings on supported Apple and Beats headphones. To add an audiogram, go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Headphone Accommodations, turn on Headphone Accommodations, then click on Custom Audio Setup. Select an audiogram from the list or click on Add Audiogram.

Background Sounds

• Play Background Sounds on iPhone to Mask Environmental Noise: Play calming sounds (e.g., ocean or rain) to mask unwanted environmental noise and minimize distractions to help focus or rest.
  • To set up Background Sounds, go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Background Sounds and turn it on.
  • Set any of the following:
    • Sound: Choose a sound and the audio file will download to your iPhone.
    • Volume: Drag the slider to adjust volume.
    • Use When Media is Playing: Adjust the volume of the background sound when iPhone is playing music or other media.
    • Stop Sounds When Locked: Background sounds stop playing when iPhone is locked.

Adjust Mono Audio, Balance, and Phone Noise Cancellation Settings on iPhone

• Adjust Mono Audio, Left-Right Stereo Balance, and Phone Noise Cancellation to suit your needs.
  • Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual.
  • Adjust any of the following:
    • Mono Audio: Turn on to combine the left and right channels to play the same content.
    • Balance: Drag the Left Right Stereo Balance slider.
    • Phone Noise Cancellation: Uses air pressure to reduce ambient background noise to help hear better when holding the receiver to your ear on phone calls in certain noisy environments. Available and on by default on iPhone 12 and earlier, and can be turned off for comfort.

Headphone Notifications

• To protect hearing, iPhone sends notifications if headphones are being used at a loud volume. See Headphone Notifications.

Flash the LED for Alerts on iPhone

• If audible alerts might be missed in a noisy environment, iPhone can flash its LED to announce incoming calls and other alerts. The LED flashes only if iPhone is locked.
  • Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual and turn on LED Flash for Alerts.
  • To prevent LED flashes when iPhone is in silent mode, turn off Flash on Silent.

Use cases

• Headphone Accommodations: Users with hearing difficulties can customize audio settings to amplify soft sounds and adjust certain frequencies to better suit their hearing.
• Background Sounds: Users in noisy environments can play calming sounds to help minimize distractions and increase focus or relaxation.
• Adjust Mono Audio, Balance, and Phone Noise Cancellation Settings on iPhone: Users with hearing impairments can adjust