Headphone exposure monitor for Mac

What does Volume Shield monitor?

Volume Shield estimates current headphone level and rolling seven-day exposure in your Mac’s menu bar. It warns when either is getting high. Optional Automatic Volume Reduction gradually lowers sustained high output on supported adjustable headphones, never raises volume, and can be undone.

Current level describes the present estimate. The 7-day allowance describes accumulated exposure over the previous 168 hours. These are independent: “Within your limit” can appear alongside “Approaching your 7-day allowance.”

How do I start tracking listening on a Mac?

The app needs permission to analyze system audio. It does not require microphone recording. Connect the headphones you actually use, check their identification, and review the displayed estimate basis before interpreting the numbers.

1. Connect your headphones and select them as the Mac’s sound output. Begin with a low volume.
2. Install Volume Shield on macOS Sequoia 15 or later and grant Screen & System Audio Recording permission when prompted.
3. Check the detected headphone and the estimate’s evidence or category basis. A recognized model is not the same as an acoustically measured profile.

Is headphone exposure history sent to a server?

Audio analysis and listening history stay on your Mac. Volume Shield does not save audio recordings or upload your listening history. License activation and verification use network requests; local audio analysis does not depend on a cloud audio service.

What does a 7-day allowance mean?

The app uses an adult reference equivalent to 80 dBA for 40 hours, with an optional more conservative 75 dBA reference. The WHO–ITU standard describes weekly sound-dose references; these are not a personal medical assessment.

Volume Shield provides estimates for personal awareness. It does not measure sound pressure at your ear, certify a headphone, or guarantee a safe listening level.

Sources: WHO–ITU safe-listening standard

Frequently asked questions