Free Sound Amplifier App for iPhone: What to Use
A free sound amplifier app for iPhone can mean two different things. If you want to hear people and sounds around you, iPhone already has a free one built in: Live Listen turns the iPhone into a microphone that plays into your AirPods or Beats. If you want music and audio files to be louder than the iPhone's maximum, a volume booster such as EQfy - Louder Volume adds up to +12 dB to songs you play in it, for free.
Two kinds of sound amplifier
Search the App Store for "sound amplifier" and you'll find two very different kinds of app under the same name:
- Hearing amplifiers use the iPhone's microphone to pick up voices or the room, make them louder, and play them in your headphones. They're for following a conversation, a lecture or the TV.
- Music and media boosters make audio that's already on your phone louder: songs, recordings, podcasts you've saved. They don't use the microphone at all.
Our own app is a good example of the confusion. On the US App Store, EQfy is called Volume Booster Sound Amplifier, but it amplifies music and audio files, not the world around you. Knowing which kind you need saves you from installing the wrong one.
To hear people better: Apple's free built-in tools
Before you download any hearing amplifier, try the features already in iOS. They're free, they work with headphones you may already own, and they come from Apple.
Live Listen
Live Listen sends the sound from your iPhone's microphone to your AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max or supported Beats, so you can place the phone near the person you want to hear. It needs iOS 14.3 or later. Following Apple's Live Listen guide:
- Connect your AirPods or Beats to your iPhone.
- Open Control Center, tap the add button, then Add a Control, and choose Live Listen under Hearing Accessibility.
- With the headphones in your ears, tap the Live Listen control.
- Put the iPhone near the person you want to hear and adjust the volume.
Live Listen also works with compatible hearing aids.
AirPods Pro hearing features
If you have AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Pro 3, Apple offers a clinical-grade Hearing Aid feature. According to Apple's Hearing Aid guide, it's intended for people 18 years or older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, and you set it up with a Hearing Test in Settings, under your AirPods' name › Hearing Health. It's available in selected countries and regions. Its optional Conversation Boost setting focuses the AirPods on the person talking in front of you.
Headphone Accommodations
Headphone Accommodations amplifies soft sounds and adjusts certain frequencies on supported Apple and Beats headphones, for music, calls and more. Go to Settings › Accessibility › Audio & Visual › Headphone Accommodations and use Customize Audio to pick what sounds best (Apple: customize headphone audio levels).
If you try a third-party hearing amplifier app
The App Store has many microphone-based amplifier apps, and some of them use words like "hearing aid" in their names. Before you install one, check a few things:
- Is it a medical device? Most aren't. Read the description for a clear statement, and be careful with apps that promise to treat hearing loss.
- What does it cost after the trial? Many amplifier apps start with a short free trial and then renew weekly. Check the subscription terms on the listing before you start one.
- Which permissions does it ask for? A hearing amplifier needs the microphone. It shouldn't need your contacts or location.
- Does it support your headphones and iOS version? Delay between the microphone and your ears can make speech harder to follow, so read recent reviews from people with similar headphones.
Compare any app against Live Listen first. If the free built-in option already helps, you may not need another subscription.
To make music louder: use a volume booster
If the problem is that songs, voice memos or downloaded audio are too quiet, you need a booster, not a hearing amplifier. Start with the free iOS settings that keep your iPhone below its real maximum, such as Reduce Loud Audio and Sound Check; our guide to making your iPhone louder than max volume walks through them. Then add extra gain on top.
In EQfy, open any song and turn the Volume dial past 100%. It goes up to 200%, which adds up to +12 dB on top of the iPhone's own volume, and it's free. You can import songs from your iPhone's Music library or the Files app, and play them through the speaker, wired or Bluetooth headphones and speakers. With Premium, Bass Boost and a 7-band equalizer make quiet tracks sound fuller, not just louder.
Which one do you need?
| You want to… | Try this | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hear a person or the TV across the room | Live Listen with AirPods or Beats | Free, built in |
| Follow conversations with mild to moderate hearing loss | Hearing Aid on AirPods Pro 2 or 3, or a hearing professional | Free feature on supported AirPods |
| Make soft sounds clearer in your headphones | Headphone Accommodations | Free, built in |
| Make songs and audio files louder than max | EQfy Volume Boost (up to +12 dB) | Free |
| Make AirPods louder for music | Our AirPods volume guide | Free settings first |
Amplify safely
More volume isn't always better. The World Health Organization notes that adults can listen safely at about 80 dB for up to 40 hours a week, and that safe time gets much shorter as the level rises. Turn amplification up slowly, back off if the sound crackles or hurts, and take breaks. Our guide is volume boosting safe? has more tips for your ears and your speakers.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free sound amplifier on iPhone?
Yes, two kinds. To hear people or sounds around you, iPhone has Live Listen built in: it uses the iPhone microphone and plays the sound in your AirPods or Beats. To make music and audio files louder, a booster app such as EQfy adds up to +12 dB for free to songs you play in it.
Can EQfy amplify voices or the sounds around me?
No. EQfy amplifies music and audio files you play inside the app. It doesn't use the microphone and isn't a hearing aid. For conversations, use Live Listen or the hearing features of supported AirPods.
Can AirPods work as a hearing aid?
AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 have a clinical-grade Hearing Aid feature for adults 18 and older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, in supported countries and regions. Apple's support page explains how to set it up with a Hearing Test.
Is a sound amplifier app the same as a hearing aid?
No. Amplifier apps and booster apps make sound louder, but they aren't fitted to your hearing and aren't medical devices. If you often struggle to hear, a hearing professional can test your hearing and recommend the right solution.