Dane Finlay's website

iOS App: Sound Stop

Decibel-based audio playback control app for iOS

Links

Description

Sound Stop is an iOS app I put together in 2019. It is my first iOS app.

The app records audio from the microphone and stops other apps from playing sound when the decibel level goes above the selected threshold for a number of seconds.

App Permissions

Notes / Help

Which microphone does the app use?

This app works with the device's builtin microphone(s) and those found in accessories such as headsets. The app will use the default microphone used for phone calls and other recordings. For example, a headset microphone will be preferred over the device's builtin microphone.

There is currently no way to select a preferred microphone. I plan to add this in a future version.

Negative decibel levels?

You may have noticed that Sound Stop works with negative decibel levels, e.g. -20dB. iOS and the underlying hardware report on this scale, where 0dB is the hardware limit. This is just my understanding of the topic, I'm not an audio engineer.

To get a sense of the noise level in your environment, use the app's "Auto adjust" button.

Resume playback after interruptions?

Currently, the app does not automatically resume interrupted audio after the decibel level goes back under the selected threshold.

I would like to allow this in a future version. It will probably be enabled by default and configurable in the settings.

iPhone audio playback is too quiet/volume is not configurable

Audio playback will be routed through the speaker used for phone calls if the app is recording. There is a workaround for this which can be toggled in the app's settings.

Feedback

I'd appreciate any feedback you have on this app. Feel free to contact me.

Icon for my Sound Stop iOS App.