5 Of The Best White Noise Apps For iPhone

Many people likely get by just fine working in silence. However, many people enjoy audio stimulation to get through difficult projects or fall asleep. One of these noises is called white noise, a sound emitted as a result of a signal experiencing different frequencies of the same volume. You've likely heard of it while flipping through different television settings or channels, but that same sound can be replicated and used as a surprisingly calming one that drones out unexpected bumps in the night.

White noise isn't the only type of sound that can be beneficial to listeners. The University of Nevada, Reno, says listening to different music and sounds during the workday can help relieve stress and promote focus. As such, a flexible and wide-reaching program for white noise and soothing sounds might be a great addition to your iPhone's collection of apps. Sure, your iPhone itself has these capabilities, but they are fairly limited depending on users' needs. If you are one of these users who require something more advanced, we've got you covered. We've tested out a few for ourselves, and here are what we think are five of the best ones.

If you're looking for a no-frills sleeping experience, check out White Noise Lite. Having been around for as long as free and pro apps were separated, this program has over 50 unique sounds to choose from. Among these are gray and brown noise, the latter of which can help soothe tinnitus while falling asleep.

White Noise Lite has a few extra special features, such as unique timers and alarms. However, its primary advantage lies in how unspecial it actually is. Many white noise apps, and apps in general, have few free options that you can expand with a pricey subscription.

While White Noise Pro does have more sounds and features, what is available here is solid enough to warrant sticking to the Lite version. Even though some of the sounds can be a bit abrasive and unpolished, White Noise Lite's simplicity will likely help you fall asleep without having to worry about navigating complicated apps to find the perfect sound.

You can play a wide variety of noises on White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds, some of which are exclusive to the app. If you have ever been curious about what it would be like to fall asleep to, say, a "Horse Carriage Ride," this app has your back. After taking a brief quiz at the beginning of your user experience, the app gives you recommendations on the sounds that could help you achieve your goals, be it improved concentration or better sleep.

While many free sounds are available, they aren't as numerous as the ones included in the app's paid subscription. What makes this even more annoying is that the locked sounds show up right alongside the free ones, making it difficult to differentiate the two on a cursory scroll. Of course, there are ways to circumvent this, as the app has an intuitive Mixes feature. The app itself is easy to navigate, and the near-pristine quality of the sounds makes it more than worth the investment.

If you're looking for a specific type of noise to fall asleep to, White Noise HQ has you covered. With titles such as "Llyn Gwynant Waves in Wales" and "Wind on Atlas Mountain, Morocco," you can fall asleep dreaming of being in an unfamiliar or calming environment. What is also nice is how the sounds available on the app start and stop — instead of immediately shutting off, they fade in and out, making for a more comfortable listening experience.

When you first download the app, you'll be given five different sounds to choose from. You can either stick to those choices or download more through the Sound Catalog. Perhaps the biggest issue with White Noise HQ is the slightly-confusing interface, which utilizes a top-down popup menu to host its navigation. That being said, the free sounds available for download are high-quality and easy to listen to, making for a potentially great white noise solution for you.

A great sleep always starts with a relaxed vibe, and out of all the apps on this list, BetterSleep might have the best vibe of them all. Opening up with calming music, you'll be recommended a custom mix of sounds that fit your needs. The sounds themselves are mixed well and actually sound as they are advertised to be. The selection of free sounds is also vast, ranging from white noise to medieval instruments.

However, while the overall vibe of BetterSleep is relaxing and welcoming, it wavers in the persistent advertising of its subscription service. It reminds users of this service seemingly every chance it gets, to the point where it becomes intrusive. The fact that sounds automatically create a mix instead of just playing separately can be a bit confusing to navigate at first. That said, these are probably the best-quality sounds and UI on this list, making it worth exploring for yourself.

Finally, there is Atmosphere. This is probably the most unique app on this list — and that's not just because all sounds are free. Instead, it's how these sounds are organized that makes it such an interesting find. Instead of simply being listed like how these sounds are in other apps, they are actually divided into different categories and pages that users can swipe to reach.

You have the expected categories, such as Forest and Home, but there are also some unexpected ones in Instrumental and Countryside. However, the category that sets Atmosphere apart for good is the Binaural & Isochronic one, which uses frequencies at certain hertz to seemingly promote certain feelings or habits.

There are, of course, advertisements on this service that can be removed with an in-app purchase. However, this does not affect the number of sounds available to users, and thankfully, the ads that do pop up are non-intrusive and don't affect the user experience. While the stacking and mixing of sounds might not be everyone's cup of tea, there is likely a sound for everyone on Atmosphere.