How to Use Muffle

Install Muffle & Launch

Download Muffle from the App Store or Google Play Store. Muffle requires no account setup or email registration—your data stays on your phone from day one.

Grant Microphone Permission

When prompted, grant microphone permission. Muffle uses the microphone solely to measure real-time sound pressure levels (decibels).

Set Your Noise Thresholds

Choose your baseline decibel comfort level (e.g. 70 dB). Muffle uses color-coded zones to let you know when noise levels are safe, moderate, or potentially overwhelming.

Log Your First Episode

Whenever you experience sound discomfort or sensory overload, tap 'Log Episode'. Tag the noise source, your symptoms, and severity in under 20 seconds.

Understanding Color-Coded Zones

The live visual meter smoothly pulses according to real-time surrounding decibels:

• •Green (Safe Zone): Comfortable background sound level, minimal strain.
• •Yellow (Caution Zone): Moderate sound exposure; potential for building sensory fatigue.
• •Red (Danger Zone): High noise level exceeding your personal threshold.

Context-Aware Thresholds

Different settings require different sensitivity levels. Muffle lets you save unique context profiles:

• •Home Threshold: Set a lower alert level (e.g. 60 dB) for quiet rest environments.
• •Work Threshold: Mid-range sensitivity (e.g. 70 dB) for office or study spaces.
• •Public Threshold: Higher threshold (e.g. 80 dB) for coffee shops, transport, or street walks.

Alert Trigger Duration

Prevent false alarms from brief sudden noises (like a dropped fork). Set how long noise must exceed your threshold (30s, 1 min, or 5 mins) before sending a notification or auto-logging.

Manual Fast Logging (< 20 Seconds)

Tap the prominent 'Log Episode' button anytime you experience noise discomfort.

• •Severity Rating: Tap 1 to 5 stars to record distress level.
• •Noise Type Tags: Select triggers (Crowd, Traffic, Construction, Office Chatter, Music, Appliance Hum).
• •Symptoms: Select physical symptoms (Headache, Ear Ringing, Nausea, Fatigue) and emotional states (Anxious, Overwhelmed, Irritable, Dissociated).
• •Location & Notes: Auto-tag GPS location (optional) and type a quick 1-line note.

Smart Auto-Logging in Background

When continuous noise stays above your threshold for your set duration, Muffle silently logs environmental data (dB, time, location) in the background.

Managing 'Unchecked' Auto-Logs

If an auto-log fires while you're busy, Muffle saves the noise exposure and marks it 'Unchecked'. Open your Logs tab during a quiet moment to review and complete the symptom tags.

Delayed Symptom Tracker

Migraines or fatigue often strike hours after noise exposure. Open the Logs tab, tap 'Log Delayed Symptom', enter when it started, and Muffle will link it to recent noise spikes to identify your personal lag time.

Unlocking the Pattern Dashboard

After logging data for approximately 2 weeks, Muffle unlocks your Pattern Dashboard.

• •Worst Time of Day: Pinpoint hours when you experience the highest sensory strain.
• •Worst Day of Week: Track weekly cycles (e.g. loud Friday commutes).
• •Top Triggers: Rank which noise sources cause the most severe reactions.
• •Symptom Correlations: See links like 'Headaches follow 75+ dB exposures 80% of the time'.

Personal Noise Forecast

Receive gentle morning notifications predicting high-noise risk periods based entirely on your historical routine—helping you prepare ear protection or plan quiet breaks in advance.

Sensitivity Profile

Muffle automatically calculates an overall Sensitivity Level (Low, Moderate, High, Severe) and tracks your longest calm streaks to celebrate quiet progress.

Saving a Safe Place

Whenever you discover a quiet coffee shop, library corner, peaceful park bench, or tranquil alley, tap 'Save Safe Place'.

• •Records average decibel readings at that spot.
• •Logs the quietest times of day.
• •Allows adding personal notes (e.g. 'Cozy corner booth, soft lighting, quietest 2-4pm').

100% Private to You

Your safe locations, coordinates, and notes are strictly private. They are saved locally on your device and are never crowd-sourced or shared publicly.

Guided Breathing Exercises

Access soothing visual animations directly from the Live Noise Meter or log screen.

• •Box Breathing (4s In, 4s Hold, 4s Out, 4s Hold) to restore autonomic calm.
• •4-7-8 Relaxing Breath technique to reduce rapid heart rate during acute noise stress.

5-4-3-2-1 Sensory Grounding

Interactive visual prompts guiding you to notice 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste—re-anchoring your focus.

Private Noise Notes

A dark-themed, distraction-free space to vent feelings, note down immediate thoughts, or describe triggers right after an episode.

Exporting PDF Reports for Doctors & Therapists

Generate a clean, professional PDF document summarizing your noise sensitivity data under Settings > Export PDF Report.

• •Includes Sensitivity Profile, episode frequency charts, top triggers, and symptom correlations.
• •Designed specifically for consultations with audiologists, physicians, therapists, or workplace accommodation requests.
• •Private text notes are excluded by default for confidentiality, but can be included if desired.

Local Storage & Optional Cloud Backup

All logs reside in a local SQLite database on your device. You can optionally enable end-to-end Encrypted Cloud Backup under Settings > Backup & Restore.

Instant Data Wipe

Delete your logs, safe places, and profile anytime in Settings > Data & Privacy. One tap permanently clears all local and cloud backup records.