With the rise of technology, parents can now benefit from a hidden feature in iOS 15 that turns their iPhone into a white noise machine. This nifty addition can be a game-changer for soothing newborns, helping them settle down and ultimately giving parents a much-needed moment of peace.
Initially released with six ambient sounds—rain, stream, and ocean for natural vibes, and bright, balanced, and dark noise for variations of white noise—Apple has continuously improved this feature. The recent iOS 26 update added even more soothing options, including rain on a roof and babble which mimics a busy cafe. With these improvements, parents can now lull their babies to sleep more effectively.
How to Access Background Sounds from Your Control Center
Quick access to this feature can save time. Here’s how to set up a toggle in the Control Center for ease of use:
1. Open Control Center.
2. Tap the plus (+) sign in the top left of the screen.
3. Select Add a Control at the bottom.
4. Tap the Hearing control (ear icon) to add it.
Now, tapping the Hearing icon in Control Center reveals options like Speaker, Background Sounds, and Live Listen. From here, tap the musical notes next to Background Sounds to activate it. You can also select a sound and adjust the volume via this menu.
More Background Sound Options
If you prefer more control over the Background Sounds feature, here’s how to access additional settings:
1. Tap Settings.
2. Choose Accessibility.
3. Select Audio & Visual.
4. Tap Background Sounds.
Here, you can enable Background Sounds and select your preferred sound. There are toggles for options like Use When Media Is Playing to ensure that those sounds continue while enjoying videos or music. Additionally, the option Stop Sounds When Locked ensures that sounds stop when your device locks.
Recent updates in iOS 26 introduced added functionality, such as an Equalizer for tuning the sound and a Timer function for turning Background Sounds off after a specified duration. Such enhancements make this feature not just beneficial for parents, but a great tool for anyone seeking to create a soothing environment.