A noise log made with a phone is a memory aid, e.g. for talks with neighbours, your landlord or the council. It does not replace an expert report or a standardised measurement, and phone microphones are not calibrated instruments. In a dispute, tenant associations, citizens advice services or a lawyer can help.
What belongs in a noise log
Councils, landlords and tenant associations usually ask for noise to be recorded as specifically as possible. A good log answers these questions for every incident:
- When? Date, start and end time
- What? Type of noise: music with bass, footsteps, drilling, barking, machinery, deliveries
- Where? Which room you heard it in, windows open or closed
- Effect? Couldn't sleep, conversation or phone call disturbed, couldn't work from home
- Witnesses? Flatmates, visitors, other neighbours
- What did you do? Talked to them, knocked, informed the landlord
| Date | Time | Duration | Noise | Where heard | Effect | Witnesses | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DD/MM | from–to | min | e.g. music with bass | bedroom, window closed | e.g. couldn't fall asleep | name | LAeq / LAFmax, events |
What a measurement can add – and what it can't
Notes say what it was. A measurement adds exactly when and how loud: with time stamps to the second, averages and peaks. That makes a log easier to follow. So that a measurement doesn't promise more than it can deliver:
- Not calibrated: depending on the phone model, absolute readings can be off by a few dB. The calibration assistant and a reference meter make it more accurate. More in Phone decibel meter accuracy.
- Very quiet nights: below about 30–35 dB(A), a phone mostly measures its own noise floor. Quiet but annoying sounds are then hard to put a number on.
- Bass and hum: dB(A) weights low frequencies weakly. Thumping bass or the hum of a heat pump can show low dB(A) readings and still be very annoying. On the meter screen, dB(C) and the frequency spectrum show whether low frequencies dominate.
- Loud isn't the same as annoying: steady traffic noise can be louder than a dog barking at night and still bother you less. That's why notes always belong with the numbers.
Long-term measurement in dB Ride: how it works
Open the long-term measurement
Choose “Long-term measurement” in the menu. Set the event threshold: an event starts when the level (LAF) stays above it for at least 1 second and ends after 2 seconds below. Tip: read the quiet background level first and set the threshold a little above it.
Schedule start and end
Start now or at a set time, e.g. 10 pm. Set an end time as well, or stop it manually.
Place the phone correctly
Put it down still, microphone uncovered (not in a pocket or case), not right next to a wall. Connect a charger – the screen may turn off. Optionally, the level alarm flags exceedances in the notification.
Review and share
At the end, dB Ride saves the measurement. The PDF report sums everything up; minute values and events are also available as CSV.
What the report contains
- Summary: overall LAeq, LAFmax, LCpeak, LAF10/LAF90 (loud peaks and background), number of events, measured time
- Timeline of 1-minute averages (LAeq) and hourly Leq
- Event list: start (to the second), duration, maximum, LAeq and LCpeak of every event above the threshold
- Day / evening / night per the EU Environmental Noise Directive (7–19, 19–23, 23–7 h), plus day / night per German TA Lärm (6–22, 22–6 h) with the loudest night hour
- Device, microphone source and calibration – so it's clear what was used to measure
Day/night values are energy averages of the measured minutes, without penalties and without the procedures of the standards. They are for guidance.
Quiet hours and reference values
Rules for neighbour noise differ by country, region, city and tenancy agreement. Many places define night-time quiet hours, often from around 10 or 11 pm to 6 or 7 am. Your council, city or landlord can tell you what applies where you live.
For orientation, the World Health Organization has published guideline values. They are health-based recommendations, not legal limits:
| Situation | Guideline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bedroom at night, continuous noise | 30 dB(A) LAeq | Guidelines for Community Noise (1999) |
| Bedroom at night, single noise events | 45 dB(A) LAmax | Guidelines for Community Noise (1999) |
| Road traffic, outdoors, night | 45 dB Lnight | Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region (2018) |
| Road traffic, outdoors, whole day | 53 dB Lden | Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region (2018) |
Typical levels of everyday sounds are listed in the decibel chart.
Tips for a meaningful log
- Always measure the same way: same room, same spot, windows in the same state. Only then can you compare nights.
- Avoid your own noise: TV, fans and conversations in the room end up in the log. Note any events you caused yourself.
- Link measurement and notes: for the events in the list, note what they were. The times from dB Ride make that easy.
- Talk first: many conflicts are solved in conversation. A calmly presented log with times comes across as more factual than “it's always loud”.
Frequently asked questions
Is a phone noise log accepted as evidence?
A phone measurement is not an expert report and not a standardised measurement. It can serve as a memory aid and show when it was loud and for how long. How a landlord, council, authority or court weighs it depends on the case. This is not legal advice – tenant associations, citizens advice services or a lawyer can help in a dispute.
How long should I keep a noise diary?
Long enough for a pattern to show – usually several weeks. Write entries regularly and promptly rather than from memory afterwards. Many councils and landlords ask for exactly that.
Does dB Ride record conversations or sounds?
No. dB Ride only analyses the microphone signal live and stores level values (numbers) only – no audio recordings. Nothing is uploaded.
How loud is too loud at night?
There is no single number for neighbour noise; quiet hours and noise rules depend on your country, city and tenancy agreement. As a reference, the WHO recommends no more than 30 dB(A) LAeq in bedrooms at night (Guidelines for Community Noise, 1999).
Does the long-term measurement run all night?
Yes. It keeps running in the background, even with the screen off. For several hours, connect a charger. If the measurement stops, disable battery optimisation for dB Ride.
Document noise – for free.
dB Ride is free for Android and iOS – no ads, no in-app purchases, no account. Long-term measurement with minute values, event list, day/night analysis, PDF and CSV is available to everyone. Your measurements stay on your device.
Sources & notes
- WHO: Guidelines for Community Noise (1999); Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region (2018).
- Directive 2002/49/EC (environmental noise): day, evening and night periods.
- German TA Lärm, no. 6.4: assessment periods day and night.
- Content of a noise log: common recommendations of councils, landlords and tenant associations. Not legal advice.