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What intensity do I use for my Apollo wearable?

Female holding Apollo Neuro device on a clip in her hand

One of the most common questions we get is around setting the intensity level for your Apollo wearable. Intensity level preference will vary depending on the mode, your environment, and how and where you wear your Apollo device, whether that’s wearing the Band on your wrist or ankle, or using the new Apollo Clip attached to your shirt, bra, or waistband

First, let’s review how to change the intensity.

An image of the Apollo Neuro app showing how to change intensity of a mode.

Use the Apollo Neuro app or the buttons on the Apollo device to adjust the intensity up or down. The raised button on the side of the device will increase intensity, and the flat button will lower the intensity — so you can adjust intensity without opening the app. Within the app, choose your mode, and you can set the intensity on the slider at the bottom of the screen, ranging from 0% to 100%.

Now, let’s talk about how intense your Apollo setting ought to be. We recommend starting low, around 20-40%, and adjusting up or down from there — see Dr. Dave’s tips and best practices to help you get the most out of your experience. The modes are set to a default intensity level, but we recommend you adjust them as you like. It’s normal to forget you’re wearing the Apollo device. Vibrations should feel comfortable, not distracting. Adjust the mode intensity based on the environment — just like how you listen to music at a lower volume when you’re alone in a quiet place versus at a higher volume when you’re on a plane with the engine roaring, you may want to turn up the intensity when you are in a very distracting or stressful setting. The goal is to just barely notice the vibrations so that they fade into the background. 

You will also want to vary the intensity depending on whether you are using the Band on your wrist or ankle, or using the Clip on your shirt, bra, or waistband. You can feel vibrations more on larger bones, so if you wear the Apollo device with the Clip near your chest or spine, we recommend that you start with a much lower intensity than when wearing it on your wrist or ankle. For example, if you use Clear and Focused mode at 25% when you are wearing the device on your wrist, try it at 10% when you wear it on your shirt near your chest. The vibrations should always be soothing and gentle. They're designed to fade into the background so that you barely notice them after a few minutes. 

When in doubt, start low and go slow. Higher intensity does not mean more effectiveness. And the lower the intensity, the longer your device battery will last. A double win!

Watch as Dr. Dave, Apollo Neuro co-founder, talks about best practices for using Apollo and setting intensities: