In this article, I have compiled a list of 5 free noise meter iPhone apps to measure sound pressure levels in your environment. These iPhone apps will use the mic in your phone to notify you about the current noise level around you. Most of these iPhone apps also plot a real-time graph of the noise levels and a real-time noise meter gauge which makes it pretty easier for a user to analyze noise levels in a surrounding. In addition to this, they also display the minimum, average, and maximum noise level. One of the app even lets you export a noise level summary via email. These are similar to some of the Android sound meter apps to measure environmental noise which I reviewed recently.
These iPhone apps are very easy to use, you just have to install them and then open to see the real-time noise levels in a place. These iPhone apps requires permission to access your mic in order to show the noise levels, so make sure that you have allowed them to access your phone mic.
Decibel 10:
Decibel 10 is a free iPhone noise meter app to measure noise around you. This app can measure the sound pressure levels from surroundings and provide you a real-time reading of noise in decibels. It displays a real-time gauge of the noise level, as shown in the screenshot above. In addition to this, it also gives you the useful option to export the noise reading data i.e. average, minimum, maximum noise level, etc via email. You can also choose to keep the device screen on and prevent the iPhone from auto-lock during the noise level measuring process. In another option, you get to use the real-time image from the camera as the app interface’s background and you can see the real-time noise level readings on it. This feature is quite similar to Deciber noise meter Android app. It also lets you calibrate the noise meter from -15 dB to +15 dB.
Sound Meter:
Sound Meter is another free iPhone app to know real-time noise levels. It displays the amount of noise in the real-time and also calculates the average, minimum, and maximum noise level. However, there is no any option to export your noise levels summary and calibrate the noise meter as in the previous iPhone app. The app displays the real-time noise levels in a noise meter gauge and plots a real-time graph as per the recorded noise levels. You can pause the real-time sound pressure measuring process and reset it anytime. It also adds a button to quickly capture the screenshot of the app and share it with your friends.
sound meter (decibel meter):
sound meter (decibel meter) is a free iPhone noise meter app which indicates real-time noise levels. This is a pretty simple app which just indicates the current noise level and unlike other sophisticated noise meter apps on my list doesn’t draw any real-time graph or noise meter gauge. The interface of the app is pretty simple and just indicates the current noise levels against a chart on which various noise levels are listed, as shown in the screenshot. One of the limitations of this app is that you can’t get to know the exact noise level and there are no other additional options like pause & resume noise reading process, calibrate, etc. I can recommend this app if you love simple and straightforward apps.
Decibel Meter:
Decibel Meter is another free iPhone app to see current noise levels. This app works quite similar to other sound meter apps on my list i.e. use iPhone mic to measure noise levels and shows the current noise level (in dB). It also plots a real-time graph of the noise levels and noise meter gauge, as shown in the screenshot above. You will also come to know about the maximum, mean, and minimum noise level of your current surrounding with this app. You can also pause and resume the noise level recording process. There is no other option to save any noise level summary.
Sound Level Meter:
Sound Level Meter is the last iPhone app to calculate noise levels around you. Like most of the noise meter iPhone apps on my list, it also plots a real-time graph of noise levels and displays a noise meter gauge. It can also calculate the minimum, average, and maximum noise level of a sound measuring session. However, there is no option to export or save the noise level summary but it does add a quick button to capture a screenshot of the app, which you can share with your friends.
Verdict:
These iPhone noise meter apps turn your iPhone into a noise meter and you can see the real-time noise level around you. However, these are not replacements for the industrial standard noise meters. So, these iPhone apps can’t be used in real world applications which need high precision and accuracy. Another fact is that these iPhone apps can’t measure high noise levels as they use mic of the iPhone which indeed is not designed for measuring high sound levels. These apps are suited for measuring noise levels in classrooms, hospitals, home, offices, etc and not in very loud places like factories, etc.
