Your iPhone has the ability to play “white noise” audio with built-in sounds that can be accessed via the Accessibility settings. You can choose between sounds like Ocean, Rain, and Stream. (Rain is my personal favorite.)
However, with iOS 18 (which you can now test via the iOS 18 public beta), Apple added two new sounds to the library.
iOS 18 adds new built-in ‘white noise’ audio
While testing the iOS 18 public beta, you’ll find two new white-noise sounds: “Night” and “Fire.”
“Night” features chirping crickets with the subtle rustle of leaves. “Fire” appears to mimic the harmonious crackle of a fireplace.
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These sounds are not specifically designed to be for sleep, but we have previously recommended the feature to help iPhone users catch some Zs.
You can access the new sounds by navigating to Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Background Sounds. Next, ensure that “Background Sounds” is toggled on before tapping “Sound,” which will lead you to the list of available sounds, including Balanced Noise, Bright Noise, Dark Noise, Ocean, Rain, and Stream.
If you plan on downloading the iOS 18 public beta, keep in mind that it’s still rough-around-the-edges and not ready for primetime. Consider backing up your iPhone first or running it on a test device.
The next big iPhone update, iOS 18, is expected to launch alongside Apple’s next-generation smartphone, likely the iPhone 16.
