Zapier guide to iPhone white noise
If you use automation tools like Zapier to streamline your day, you can also streamline your focus by learning how to turn on white noise on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple’s built-in Background Sounds feature makes it easy to stay focused, relax, or fall asleep without installing extra apps.
This step-by-step how-to explains where to find Background Sounds, how to customize them, and how to control them quickly once they are set up.
What Background Sounds are on Apple devices
Apple includes a small set of ambient audio tracks called Background Sounds. They are designed to help you:
- Reduce distractions in noisy environments
- Stay focused during work or study
- Relax or fall asleep more easily
- Mask outside sounds while traveling
These sounds play locally from your device and do not require additional downloads after the first time you enable them.
Available Background Sounds options
Your iPhone, iPad, or Mac offers a limited but useful library of sounds. Depending on your system version, you will typically see options like:
- Balanced noise
- Bright noise
- Dark noise
- Ocean
- Rain
- Stream
Any of these can run in the background while you use other apps, so you can schedule your tasks in Zapier and listen to rain or ocean sounds at the same time.
How to turn on white noise on iPhone with Zapier-style efficiency
You do not need third-party apps to play white noise on your iPhone. Apple hides the setting a bit, but once you know where it is, you can enable it in seconds.
Step 1: Open iPhone Settings
- Unlock your iPhone.
- Tap the Settings app icon on your Home Screen or App Library.
Most of the audio controls you need, including Background Sounds, live inside the Settings app.
Step 2: Go to Accessibility
- In Settings, scroll down.
- Tap Accessibility.
Accessibility groups features that change how you see, hear, and interact with your device. Background Sounds is part of the hearing-related settings.
Step 3: Open Audio/Visual
- Inside Accessibility, locate the Hearing section.
- Tap Audio/Visual.
Here you will find controls for headphone accommodations, balance, and other audio features.
Step 4: Enable Background Sounds
- Scroll down until you see Background Sounds.
- Tap Background Sounds to open its settings.
- Toggle Background Sounds to the On position.
The first time you enable it, your iPhone may download the audio files. After that, they are stored locally and can play instantly, just like a reliable automation in Zapier once it is set up.
Step 5: Choose your sound
- Tap Sound.
- Pick a sound such as Balanced noise, Rain, or Stream.
- Use the Play button (if available) to preview.
Try a few sounds in different environments—working at a cafe, studying at home, or winding down before bed—to find which one helps you most.
Step 6: Adjust volume and behavior
Within the Background Sounds screen, you can fine-tune how it behaves:
- Volume: Use the slider to set how loud the sound should be.
- Use When Media Is Playing: Let Background Sounds continue under music, podcasts, or videos.
- Volume with Media: Control how loud the noise is when other audio is playing.
- Stop Sounds When Locked: Choose whether the audio keeps playing after the screen turns off.
For a sleep routine, you might keep sounds running when locked. For quick focus bursts, you might stop them when you lock your phone.
How to add Background Sounds to Control Center with Zapier-like speed
Once you have Background Sounds configured, you can add a shortcut to Control Center for faster access. This makes turning white noise on and off as quick as running a favorite Zapier workflow.
Step 1: Open Control Center settings
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Tap Control Center.
Control Center lets you choose which quick controls appear when you swipe down from the top-right corner on most iPhones.
Step 2: Add Hearing control
- In Control Center, scroll to the More Controls section.
- Find Hearing.
- Tap the + button next to Hearing to add it.
The Hearing icon now appears in the Included Controls list and will show up in Control Center.
Step 3: Turn Background Sounds on from Control Center
- Swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPhone to open Control Center.
- Tap the Hearing ear icon.
- In the panel that opens, tap Background Sounds to toggle them on or off.
This shortcut is ideal when you want to switch between meetings, deep work, and rest periods without digging through settings every time.
How to use white noise on iPad
On iPad, the steps for turning on Background Sounds are almost identical to the iPhone steps:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Accessibility.
- Tap Audio/Visual.
- Tap Background Sounds and toggle it on.
- Select your preferred sound.
- Adjust volume and other behavior options.
You can also add the Hearing control to Control Center on iPad using the same method as on iPhone. That way you can start a sound during a study session or while working in apps like Safari or note-taking tools as smoothly as you would start automations in Zapier.
How to turn on white noise on Mac
Recent versions of macOS include a similar Background Sounds feature. The names and placements can vary slightly depending on your macOS version, but the general process is:
- Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen.
- Select System Settings (or System Preferences on some versions).
- Choose Accessibility.
- Look for Audio or a similar section.
- Enable Background Sounds or the equivalent toggle.
- Select your sound type and adjust the volume.
Once enabled, you can leave the sound running while you work in browsers, productivity apps, or web tools like Zapier on your Mac.
Zapier-style tips to optimize Background Sounds
To get more value out of Background Sounds, think about them the way you think about automation with Zapier: consistent, intentional, and optimized for your routines.
- Create focus blocks: Turn on a neutral noise like Balanced noise during 25- or 50-minute work sprints.
- Build a pre-sleep routine: Use Rain or Ocean for 20–30 minutes before bed while you wind down.
- Travel companion: Mask airplane or train noise without blasting music.
- Pair with Do Not Disturb: Enable Background Sounds when you switch to a Focus mode for work or personal time.
You can also explore external automation or workflow ideas from sites like Consultevo if you are building broader productivity systems.
Learn more from the original guide
This how-to is based on a detailed walkthrough of Apple’s Background Sounds feature. For additional context and screenshots, you can read the original article on the Zapier blog here: how to turn on white noise on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
With these steps in place, your devices can provide simple, always-available white noise—helping you stay focused and calm while the rest of your digital tasks run through tools like Zapier in the background.
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