Newborns could be tough. They eat on a regular basis, pee and poop wherever they need, and so they can cry all through the evening. In keeping with the American Academy of Pediatrics, taking part in sounds from a white noise machine might help soothe your child and get them to calm down — and provide you with a second of respite. And when you’ve got an iPhone, you need not spend cash on a brand new white noise machine.
When Apple released iOS 15 in 2021, the working system introduced a hidden function known as Background Sounds. It means that you can flip your iPhone right into a white noise machine, and you’ll play these sounds by themselves or beneath a podcast, music or video streaming app.
When Apple launched the function, there have been six ambient sounds to play on a loop: rain, stream and ocean — that are pure sounds — and brilliant, balanced and darkish noise — that are completely different pitches of white noise. When Apple released iOS 18 in 2024, it added two sounds to the function: evening and fireplace. And iOS 26 introduced much more background sounds to units, like rain on roof and babble — which feels like a busy cafe.
If you wish to use these sounds to lull a child again to sleep, or for every other purpose, this is tips on how to allow Background Sounds in your iPhone.
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entry Background Sounds out of your Management Middle
As an alternative of looking out by way of Settings every time you wish to flip Background Sounds on, this is how one can arrange a toggle within the Management Middle to show the function on to make use of in your iPhone.
1. Open Management Middle.
2. Faucet the plus (+) signal within the high left of your display.
3. Faucet Add a Management close to the underside of your display.
4. Faucet Listening to management (ear icon) beneath Listening to Accessibility so as to add to Management Middle.
You could find the Listening to management beneath Listening to Accessibility in your Management Middle.
As soon as the Listening to management icon is in Management Middle, faucet it to see three choices: Speaker, Background Sounds and Reside Pay attention. Then faucet the musical notes subsequent to Background Sounds to show the function on. You may as well faucet on the phrases Background Sounds to open a menu to decide on a unique background sound in addition to alter the quantity.
These are just a few of the sounds you may entry in Background Sounds.
Use Accessibility Shortcuts for Background Sounds
You may as well arrange an accessibility shortcut to show Background Sounds on or off from your own home display or inside an app. Here is tips on how to set it up.
1. Faucet Settings.
2. Faucet Accessibility.
3. Faucet Accessibility Shortcut.
4. Faucet Background Sounds.
Now whenever you press the facet button in your iPhone thrice, Background Sounds will activate. You may faucet the button thrice once more to show it again off.
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Extra Background Sound choices
If you would like extra management over Background Sounds, this is the place to go.
1. Faucet Settings.
2. Faucet Accessibility.
3. Faucet Audio & Visible.
4. Faucet Background Sounds.
Close to the highest of this menu you may flip Background Sounds on by tapping the Background Sounds toggle, and you’ll change the Background Sound by tapping Sound and selecting a brand new sound.
You may play your background sounds whereas different media is taking part in if you would like.
There are two toggles on this menu: Use When Media Is Enjoying and Cease Sounds When Locked. Tapping the toggle subsequent to Use When Media Is Enjoying permits Background Sounds to maintain taking part in whilst you watch a video or hearken to music. And tapping the toggle subsequent to Cease Sounds When Locked ensures Background Sounds will flip off when your machine locks. If you do not have this enabled, the sounds will proceed to play when your machine locks.
There are additionally two new menus in iOS 26: Equalizer and Cease Sounds with a Timer. Equalizer enables you to alter the tone and contour of Background Sounds, in addition to stability extra towards the best or left speaker or headphone. Cease Sounds with a Timer means that you can flip Background Sounds off at a particular time you can select or after a sure period of time has handed.
The Cease Sounds with a Timer (left) and Equalizer menus in iOS 26.
For extra iOS information, this is every part to find out about iOS 26.1 and my review of iOS 26. You may as well try our iOS 26 cheat sheet.
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