To help you concentrate or sleep better, Apple smartphones have been offering white noise for several years, hidden within the device’s functions.
Cutting yourself off from the world can be a necessity for some people, and white noise is a good way of achieving this. Among other things, white noise masks ambient noise by adding sound frequencies.
Some playlists already exist on streaming platforms or on the Internet. A piece of white noise, for example, has exceeded one billion listens on Spotify. But a feature that comes as standard on iPhones makes it possible to obtain similar restful noises.
Hidden away in accessibility-related settings such as noise detection, white noise is available free of charge and lets you listen to six different types of sound: “balanced”, “light” or “dark” noises, the ocean, rain or a stream.
And unlike conventional playlists, the iPhone’s white noise is used as background sound. This makes it possible to activate playback while doing another activity, even if it requires the use of audio.
To activate white noise on the iPhone
Go to Settings, then to the “Accessibility” tab
Scroll down to “Audio/Visual”.
Check the “Background sounds” toggle button
Set noise type and volume
The first step to finding white noise on iPhone. Screenshot / Tech&Co
You can also choose in this tab whether you want to use white noise even when listening to other media, or if your iPhone is locked.
For easier access to background noise, you can also set a shortcut on the Control Center, present by swiping the top-right corner of the device.
In Settings, go to “Control Center”.
Include the “Audition” command
Scanning the top-right corner, click on the ear icon
Click on “Background sounds”.
You can also set a shortcut for easier access to white noise. Screenshot / Tech&Co
Using your smartphone to concentrate or soothe yourself is no longer necessarily impossible. It should be noted, however, that the effectiveness of white noise on sleep has yet to be conclusively demonstrated, as studies have not produced any consensus as to the impact of these sounds on improving sleep quality, and the benefits touted are generally based on testimonials from enthusiasts.
