The Live Wire function determines which wire in a bundle is live by using a single direct connection. You can use this to make sure an outlet is properly wired.

This function operates similarly to the Non-Contact Voltage (NCV) function, as it detects the electromagnetic field to determine whether a wire is live or not. The difference is that the Live Wire function uses a test probe to shift the testing into the multimeter. This allows you to clearly distinguish which wire in a bundle is live.

If the wire is live, the multimeter will beep and display "LIVE".

If the Live Wire function doesn't detect any live wires when you expect it to, try grasping the multimeter with your free hand. This helps with capacitive coupling, which Live Wire uses to function.