Commitments and Contingent Liabilities	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingent Liabilities	From time to time, the Company is involved in various legal proceedings and claims arising in the ordinary course of its business, including those related to intellectual property, which may be owned by it or others. The Company owns many patents covering products, technology and manufacturing processes. Some of these patents have been and may continue to be challenged by others. In appropriate cases, the Company has taken and will take steps to protect and defend its patents and other intellectual property, including through the use of legal proceedings in various jurisdictions around the world. Such steps have resulted in and may continue to result in retaliatory legal proceedings, including litigation or other legal proceedings in various jurisdictions and forums around the world alleging infringement by the Company of patents owned by others. The costs of investigations and legal proceedings, particularly multi-forum litigation, relating to the enforcement and defense of the Company’s intellectual property, may be substantial. Additionally, in multi-forum disputes, the Company may incur adverse judgments with regard to certain claims in certain jurisdictions and forums while still contesting other related claims against the same opposing party in other jurisdictions and forums. Although the ultimate outcome of any legal proceeding or claim cannot be predicted with certainty, based on present information, including management’s assessment of the merits of the particular claim, the Company does not expect that any asserted or unasserted legal proceedings or claims, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on its cash flow, results of operations or financial condition. Audience IPO-Related Litigation On September 13, 2012, a purported shareholder filed a class action complaint in the Superior Court of the State of California for Santa Clara County against Audience, the members of its board of directors, two of its executive officers and the underwriters of Audience’s initial public offering ("IPO"). An amended complaint was filed on February 25, 2013, which purported to be brought on behalf of a class of purchasers of Audience’s common stock issued in or traceable to the IPO. On April 3, 2013, the outside members of the board of directors of Audience and the underwriters were dismissed without prejudice. The amended complaint added additional shareholder plaintiffs and contains claims under Sections 11 and 15 of the Securities Act. The complaint seeks, among other things, compensatory damages, rescission and attorney’s fees and costs. On March 1, 2013, defendants responded to the amended complaint by filing a demurrer moving to dismiss the amended complaint on the grounds that the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction. The court overruled that demurrer. On March 27, 2013, defendants filed a demurrer moving to dismiss the amended complaint on other grounds. The court denied the demurrer on September 4, 2013. On January 16, 2015, the court granted plaintiff’s motion to certify a class. A trial had been scheduled for January 25, 2016 however, on July 23, 2015, an agreement in principle to settle the action was reached, subject to approval of the court. On October 19, 2015, the parties executed a stipulation of settlement. The settlement is subject to approval by the court and as of March 31, 2016, none of the members of the class have opted out of, or objected to, the settlement. A final settlement approval hearing is scheduled for May 6, 2016. If the court approves the settlement, Audience’s insurance carriers will pay $6.0 million to the class in exchange for releases. There can be no assurance that the court will approve the settlement and class members will not opt out of the settlement and file individual actions. As of March 31, 2016, the Company has accrued $6.0 million of legal reserves with a corresponding accounts receivable amount of $6.0 million on Knowles Consolidated Balance Sheet. Audience Acquisition-Related Litigation Between May 15 and May 29, 2015, five substantially similar class action lawsuits challenging the proposed acquisition of Audience were filed in the Superior Court of California, Santa Clara County, against the members of Audience’s board of directors and the Company, among others. The lawsuits were subsequently consolidated into a single action. The complaints allege that the members of Audience’s board of directors breached their fiduciary duties to Audience shareholders in connection with the proposed acquisition and that the Company aided and abetted these alleged violations. The plaintiffs sought to enjoin the acquisition, as well as, among other things, compensatory damages and attorney’s fees and costs. In June 2015, the parties reached an agreement-in-principle providing for the settlement of the litigation on the terms and conditions set forth in a memorandum of understanding (the “MOU”). Pursuant to the terms of the MOU, without agreeing that any of the claims in the litigation have merit or that any supplemental disclosure was required under any applicable statute, rule, regulation or law, Audience agreed to make certain supplemental and amended disclosures in its statement in support of the acquisition filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The settlement is subject to final approval by the court and members of the class may opt out of, or object to, the settlement. Notices summarizing the terms of the settlement have been circulated to Audience shareholders and the court is expected to hold a final settlement hearing on July 29, 2016. There can be no assurance that the settlement will be finalized or that the court will approve the settlement. As of March 31, 2016, the Company has accrued $0.5 million of legal reserves on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Intellectual Property Infringement Claims The Company may, on a limited customer specific basis, provide contractual indemnities for certain losses that arise out of claims that its products infringe on the intellectual property of others. Historically, the Company has not made significant payments under such indemnity arrangements. Other than the litigation noted above, the Company’s legal reserves were not significant at March 31, 2016 and 2015.

From time to time, the Company is involved in various legal proceedings and claims arising in the ordinary course of its business, including those related to intellectual property, which may be owned by it or others. The Company owns many patents covering products, technology and manufacturing processes. Some of these patents have been and may continue to be challenged by others. In appropriate cases, the Company has taken and will take steps to protect and defend its patents and other intellectual property, including through the use of legal proceedings in various jurisdictions around the world. Such steps have resulted in and may continue to result in retaliatory legal proceedings, including litigation or other legal proceedings in various jurisdictions and forums around the world alleging infringement by the Company of patents owned by others. The costs of investigations and legal proceedings, particularly multi-forum litigation, relating to the enforcement and defense of the Company’s intellectual property, may be substantial. Additionally, in multi-forum disputes, the Company may incur adverse judgments with regard to certain claims in certain jurisdictions and forums while still contesting other related claims against the same opposing party in other jurisdictions and forums. Although the ultimate outcome of any legal proceeding or claim cannot be predicted with certainty, based on present information, including management’s assessment of the merits of the particular claim, the Company does not expect that any asserted or unasserted legal proceedings or claims, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on its cash flow, results of operations or financial condition.

Audience IPO-Related Litigation

On September 13, 2012, a purported shareholder filed a class action complaint in the Superior Court of the State of California for Santa Clara County against Audience, the members of its board of directors, two of its executive officers and the underwriters of Audience’s initial public offering ("IPO"). An amended complaint was filed on February 25, 2013, which purported to be brought on behalf of a class of purchasers of Audience’s common stock issued in or traceable to the IPO. On April 3, 2013, the outside members of the board of directors of Audience and the underwriters were dismissed without prejudice. The amended complaint added additional shareholder plaintiffs and contains claims under Sections 11 and 15 of the Securities Act. The complaint seeks, among other things, compensatory damages, rescission and attorney’s fees and costs. On March 1, 2013, defendants responded to the amended complaint by filing a demurrer moving to dismiss the amended complaint on the grounds that the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction. The court overruled that demurrer. On March 27, 2013, defendants filed a demurrer moving to dismiss the amended complaint on other grounds. The court denied the demurrer on September 4, 2013. On January 16, 2015, the court granted plaintiff’s motion to certify a class. A trial had been scheduled for January 25, 2016 however, on July 23, 2015, an agreement in principle to settle the action was reached, subject to approval of the court. On October 19, 2015, the parties executed a stipulation of settlement. The settlement is subject to approval by the court and as of March 31, 2016, none of the members of the class have opted out of, or objected to, the settlement. A final settlement approval hearing is scheduled for May 6, 2016. If the court approves the settlement, Audience’s insurance carriers will pay $6.0 million to the class in exchange for releases. There can be no assurance that the court will approve the settlement and class members will not opt out of the settlement and file individual actions. As of March 31, 2016, the Company has accrued $6.0 million of legal reserves with a corresponding accounts receivable amount of $6.0 million on Knowles Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Audience Acquisition-Related Litigation

Between May 15 and May 29, 2015, five substantially similar class action lawsuits challenging the proposed acquisition of Audience were filed in the Superior Court of California, Santa Clara County, against the members of Audience’s board of directors and the Company, among others. The lawsuits were subsequently consolidated into a single action. The complaints allege that the members of Audience’s board of directors breached their fiduciary duties to Audience shareholders in connection with the proposed acquisition and that the Company aided and abetted these alleged violations. The plaintiffs sought to enjoin the acquisition, as well as, among other things, compensatory damages and attorney’s fees and costs.

In June 2015, the parties reached an agreement-in-principle providing for the settlement of the litigation on the terms and conditions set forth in a memorandum of understanding (the “MOU”). Pursuant to the terms of the MOU, without agreeing that any of the claims in the litigation have merit or that any supplemental disclosure was required under any applicable statute, rule, regulation or law, Audience agreed to make certain supplemental and amended disclosures in its statement in support of the acquisition filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The settlement is subject to final approval by the court and members of the class may opt out of, or object to, the settlement. Notices summarizing the terms of the settlement have been circulated to Audience shareholders and the court is expected to hold a final settlement hearing on July 29, 2016. There can be no assurance that the settlement will be finalized or that the court will approve the settlement. As of March 31, 2016, the Company has accrued $0.5 million of legal reserves on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Intellectual Property Infringement Claims

The Company may, on a limited customer specific basis, provide contractual indemnities for certain losses that arise out of claims that its products infringe on the intellectual property of others. Historically, the Company has not made significant payments under such indemnity arrangements. Other than the litigation noted above, the Company’s legal reserves were not significant at March 31, 2016 and 2015.