New iOS 17 feature: Background Sounds for focus and relaxation

With the release of iOS 17 last September, Apple introduced a hidden feature that could be your best tool for focusing or relaxing - Background Sounds.

Here's What We Know

Interestingly, Background Sounds are not new - they were first introduced in iOS 15 in 2021, but remained hidden for a long time. Now users can take advantage of six different ambient sounds, such as rain, stream, ocean, and bright, balanced, and dark noise.

This feature not only adds a relaxing aspect to daily iPhone use, but can also have a positive impact on health. Studies have shown that listening to natural sounds can reduce stress, ease pain, and improve mood.

Additionally, this diverse sound arsenal can be useful in a variety of scenarios, including learning new words for adults and enhancing learning in a distracted environment.

How To Switch It On

If you want to try out Background Sounds, the settings are simple and accessible:

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to the Accessibility section.
3. Select Audio and video.
4. Turn on Background Sounds.

You can also quickly manage the feature and add it to the Control Centre or by customising the Special Features shortcut.

Source: CNET