This simple “hack” recently went viral and it claims that a simple settings tweak will make your iPhone’s speakers louder. But does it really?

Late Night EQ setting

First off, here are the steps provided by the viral Twitter post of @thebaemarcus:

— TheBae (@thebaemarcus) August 7, 2017

Go to your iPhone’s SettingsScroll down then tap Music then EQ (Equalizer). An equalizer, like the one in the iPhone, alters a gadget’s audio signature by boosting specific frequencies, the bass or the treble frequencies, for example, according to a user’s preference. (iOS gadgets have a variety of presets like Bass Booster, Rock, Dance, Hip Hop, etc.)Under EQ, select Late Night

Now play a bit of music and listen. Does it make a difference? It probably will and you’ll perceive a noticeable change. Some users are even claiming that it’s life-changing! But does your iPhone speaker really get louder with this setting? It might take an actual sound level meter to measure the decibel changes accurately but nope. Sorry, this setting won’t magically turn your iPhone into a boombox.

Dynamic Range Compression

What’s really happening is a sound processing technique known as “compression.” Sometimes called dynamic range compression, it actually makes the iPhone’s volume range narrower by making softer sounds louder and the louder parts softer for a more consistent and equal level. This means quieter parts of a song, for example, get a volume boost but louder portions are toned down. Some may perceive this sound processing as a “fuller” and “clearer” sound especially when coming from the iPhone’s speaker. Well, it does help a bit but in reality, it doesn’t really raise the iPhone’s overall output capabilities. But whatever works, right? This technique is nothing new and it can be found in TVs, sound bars, other smartphones and audio devices. It’s quite handy for boosting dialogue on your TV too. Perhaps cupping your iPhone’s speaker with your hand to make it louder will actually work better than this “hack.” What do you think? Does the iPhone’s Late Night EQ setting work for you? Drop us a comment!

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