Background Sounds on iPhone: How to Turn On & Use It
What iPhone Background Sounds is, where to find it (Settings & Control Center), how to turn it on, change/download sounds, timer workarounds, and battery tips.
Background Sounds on iPhone is a built-in feature that plays continuous ambient noise (like rain or ocean waves) to help you focus, relax, or sleep. Introduced in iOS 15, this Accessibility option provides soothing soundscapes that can mask unwanted environmental noise. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explain what Background Sounds are, how to turn them on/off, and how to use them effectively—plus answer common questions about battery life, timers, and more.
What Are “Background Sounds” on iPhone?
Background Sounds continuously plays calming audio in the background. Apple designed it to help you stay focused, feel calmer, and minimize distractions. You can choose different types of noise (balanced, bright, or dark noise) as well as natural sounds like Ocean, Rain, and Stream. These can mask external noises, making them great for working in a noisy environment, relaxing, or falling asleep.
Originally there were six ambient sounds; as of iOS 18 Apple added two more—Night and Fire—bringing the total to eight. Each sound downloads to your device the first time you select it (roughly ~40 MB) and can play offline afterward. The feature works locally, so you don’t need extra apps or subscriptions. Background Sounds can also mix under other audio (like music or podcasts) and, if you choose, continue on the Lock Screen.
How to Turn On Background Sounds on iPhone
Your iPhone must be running iOS 15 or later.
Open Settings → Accessibility.
Under Hearing, tap Audio/Visual.
Tap Background Sounds.
Toggle Background Sounds On (it starts with the default Rain sound).
Tap Sound to choose a different ambient sound.
Adjust Volume to taste.
Screenshot idea: The Background Sounds menu (Settings → Accessibility → Audio/Visual → Background Sounds) shows the on/off toggle, sound list, and volume sliders.
Background Sounds Settings Explained
Sound: Pick from Balanced Noise, Bright Noise, Dark Noise, Ocean, Rain, Stream, Night, and Fire.
Volume: Sets loudness and can be balanced against other media.
Use When Media is Playing: Keeps background audio running under music/videos (with a separate “with media” volume slider).
Stop Sounds When Locked: If on (default), sounds stop when your iPhone locks. Turn it off to keep sounds playing on the Lock Screen.
Quick Access: Control Center & Shortcuts
Make it fast to start/stop without diving into Settings:
Control Center (ear icon): Go to Settings → Control Center, add Hearing. Open Control Center, tap the earicon, then tap Background Sounds to play/stop, change sounds, and adjust volume.
Accessibility Shortcut (triple-click): Go to Settings → Accessibility → Accessibility Shortcut, select Background Sounds. Triple-click the side button to toggle it.
Pro tip: Start a Refocus block session (to silence tempting apps & websites), then toggle Background Sounds from Control Center for a consistent “deep-work” ritual.
How to Change or Add Background Sounds
Change the sound: In the Background Sounds settings, tap Sound and select one. Or long-press the Hearing tile in Control Center → Background Sounds → tap the sound name to switch.
Download behavior: The first time you choose a sound, your iPhone downloads it. After that, it plays offline. You can delete and re-download later if needed.
Add more sounds: Apple currently limits the list to the built-ins (now eight total). If you want different soundscapes (fans, forests, etc.), consider third-party apps.
Use with other media: Enable Use When Media is Playing to mix ambient noise under music/videos.
Stop quickly: Toggle off from Control Center, Settings, the triple-click shortcut, or ask Siri (“Turn off background sounds”).
Does Background Sound Drain Battery on iPhone?
Continuous audio playback uses power—similar to running a music app. If you play Background Sounds for hours (especially overnight), expect noticeable battery drain. Tips:
Charge while playing for long sessions (overnight).
Lower the volume to reduce power draw.
Keep iOS updated for performance fixes and optimizations.
Leave “Stop Sounds When Locked” on if you don’t need all-night playback.
Is There a Sleep Timer for Background Sounds?
There’s no built-in sleep timer for Background Sounds. Workarounds:
Shortcuts Automation: Create a personal automation to turn Background Sounds off after a set time.
Clock app “Stop Playing”: This sometimes doesn’t reliably stop Background Sounds because it isn’t typical media playback.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Where is Background Sounds on iPhone?
Settings → Accessibility → Audio/Visual → Background Sounds.
What does Background Sounds mean on iPhone?
It’s Apple’s built-in white noise/ambient sound feature to help you focus, relax, or sleep.
How do I add Background Sounds to Control Center?
Settings → Control Center → add Hearing (ear icon). Then open Control Center → tap the ear → Background Sounds.
How do I turn off Background Sounds on iPhone?
Toggle it off from Control Center, in Settings, via triple-click shortcut, or ask Siri (“Turn off background sounds”).
Do Background Sounds drain battery?
Yes, like any continuous audio. For long sessions, keep your iPhone charging or use lower volume.
Why do Background Sounds keep turning off?
Check Stop Sounds When Locked. If it’s enabled (default), audio stops on the Lock Screen. Disable it to keep playing when locked.
Can I download more background sounds?
You can download the built-in sounds the first time you use them, but you can’t add custom sounds to this feature. Use third-party apps for more variety.
How does this relate to Hearing/Live Listen?
Background Sounds lives under Hearing controls in Control Center. Features like Live Listen and Headphone Accommodations also live there, but they’re separate. (If you use Headphone Accommodations, those settings carry over to Background Sounds.)
Conclusion
Apple’s Background Sounds is a hidden gem for crafting a calmer environment—masking distractions with white noise or nature sounds so you can focus, relax, or sleep better. It’s easy to toggle from Control Center, customizable with multiple sound types, and runs locally on your device.
Want to go even further? Use Refocus to block time-wasting apps & websites and pair it with Background Sounds—an ideal combo for deep work and healthier screen time habits.
