For years, the App Store has been home to quite a few different “white noise” apps. These are designed to help you stay focused while working, or just to have some noise in the background as opposed to nothing. And while apps like Dark Noise are still around, Apple seems to have taken notice, as iOS 15 introduced “Background Sounds” for iPhone users. With macOS Ventura, this same feature is being made available for Mac owners.
Everyday sounds can be distracting, discomforting, or overwhelming, and in support of neurodiversity, Apple is introducing new background sounds to help minimize distractions and help users focus, stay calm, or rest. Balanced, bright, or dark noise, as well as ocean, rain, or stream sounds continuously play in the background to mask unwanted environmental or external noise, and the sounds mix into or duck under other audio and system sounds.
Apple has been making great strides to improve the accessibility options and features on its devices in recent years. And that’s where Background Sounds comes in for iOS, iPadOS, and now macOS users.
With macOS Ventura, we’re getting a lot of the best features from the iPhone and iPad. For example, Stage Manager displays all of your recently-opened apps on the side, with a single app focused in the middle of the screen. From there, you can tap on different apps to replace them, or you can create stacks of apps to “create your ideal workspace”. These different windows can be rearranged and resized, making it simple and painless to multi-task.
Spotlight is being improved with better image search, while also being slightly redesigned and allowing users to quickly preview files without opening Finder. Better search results is a common theme on macOS Ventura, as Mail is also being improved. As soon as you start typing, you’ll immediately begin seeing suggestions and will even fix typos for you.
How to Play Background Sounds on macOS Ventura
If you have macOS Ventura installed on your Mac, you now have access to the Background Sounds functionality. These can easily be enabled, but you’ll need to jump into the Accessibility section from within the redesigned System Settings app. Here’s how to play Background Sounds on macOS Ventura:
Open the System Settings app on your Mac.
In the sidebar, click Accessibility.
Under the Hearing section, click Audio.
Scroll down to the Background Sounds section.
Click the toggle next to Background Sounds to turn this feature on.
Next to Background Sound, click the Choose… button.
Select one of the following:
Balanced Noise
Bright Noise
Dark Noise
Ocean
Rain
Stream
Click the OK button in the bottom right corner.
Use the slider to adjust the Background Sounds Volume.
Toggle whether you want background sounds to automatically turn off when your Mac is not being actively used.
There’s just something about having background sounds and noises playing that can help keep you focused. But these are also great if you are looking for some sounds to help you unwind at the end of the day.
Play Background Sounds from Control Center
Those who want quick and easy access to Background Sounds, you’re in luck. After following these steps, you’ll no longer need to worry about diving into the Settings app just to turn these on or off. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to control media playback from other apps in Control Center. But if you’re not worried about that, here’s how you can use and play Background Sounds from Control Center:
Open the System Settings app on your Mac.
In the sidebar, click Control Center.
Scroll down until you reach the Hearing box under the Other modules section.
Click the toggle next to Show in Control Center.
In the top right of the menu bar, click the Control Center icon.
Click the newly-added Hearing shortcut button.
When the dialog box appears, select Background Sounds.
Repeat the steps above to turn off Background Sounds.
Whenever you turn on Background Sounds, you will be presented with the same list of sounds and noises that can be found in the Accessibility settings. The Hearing toggle in Control Center also displays a dedicated volume bar for you to adjust the sound levels of the Background Sounds.
By adding the Hearing toggle to Control Center, you no longer have to worry about jumping into the System Settings app every time you want to have sounds playing in the background.
Andrew is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US.
He has written for a variety of sites over the years, including iMore, Android Central, Phandroid, and a few others. Now, he spends his days working for an HVAC company, while moonlighting as a freelance writer at night.
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