The best white noise app is one with sounds you can listen to for hours, a reliable timer and no adverts breaking in at 3am. Check what's free, whether it works offline and how much control you get over the mix. Nine apps follow in no particular order, plus tips for using sound at bedtime or at your desk.
Steady background sound helps a lot of people switch off: the hum of a fan, rain on a window or plain white noise. Others use it to focus at work or to cover a noisy neighbour. White noise apps range from simple loops to deep sound mixers, and many are made by tiny independent developers.
The nine apps below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order. Each description comes from the app's own website or store listing, re-checked today. These are sound apps, not medical treatments. If you fall asleep to spoken audio instead, my piece on why podcasts help people relax at night explains the appeal.
White noise apps compared
In the free plan column, Yes means the app's own site or store listing describes a free app or free plan, Trial only means a time-limited trial and No means neither is stated. Several apps are free with optional extra sounds, while subscription apps start with a trial.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atmosphere | Ambient sound mixer | Mixing nature sounds for sleep | Yes |
| BetterSleep | Sleep sounds and stories | Sounds plus bedtime stories | Trial only |
| Calm | Meditation and sleep app | Sleep stories and meditation | Trial only |
| Dark Noise | Ambient noise app | Minimal noise on Apple devices | Yes |
| myNoise | Custom soundscape tool | Fine-tuning every frequency | Yes |
| Noisli | Focus sound app | Background sound while working | Yes |
| Portal | Spatial audio escapes | Immersive nature scenes | Yes |
| Sleep Cycle | Sleep tracker with sounds | Tracking sleep alongside sounds | Trial only |
| White Noise Lite | White noise app | Classic white noise and fan sounds | Yes |
Nine sound apps for sleep and focus
Atmosphere
Best for: People who like to build their own mix of rain, wind and fire sounds and save it for bedtime.
BetterSleep
Best for: Adults who want sleep sounds combined with bedtime stories and guided relaxation in one subscription.
Calm
Best for: Anyone who wants well-known sleep stories and meditation alongside soundscapes, and is happy to subscribe.
Dark Noise
Best for: iPhone and Apple Watch users who want a minimal app with high-quality noise colours and Siri shortcuts.
myNoise
Best for: Tinkerers and tinnitus sufferers who want sliders to tune each frequency band of a soundscape exactly.
Noisli
Best for: Home workers who want gentle background sound in a browser tab while they focus, with timers.
Portal
Best for: Listeners with good headphones who want immersive recordings of real places, with smart home lighting effects.
Sleep Cycle
Best for: Data-minded sleepers who want sleep tracking and a smart alarm as well as soundscapes.
White Noise Lite
Best for: Light sleepers who just want classic white, pink or fan noise on a loop with an alarm, nothing more.
What the NHS says about noise and sleep
Noise is a bigger part of poor sleep than many people realise. The NHS lists noise among the most common causes of insomnia, alongside stress, a room that's too hot or cold, and an uncomfortable bed.
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What that means for you: steady background sound can mask sudden noises such as traffic or a partner's snoring. If poor sleep lasts for months or affects your day, the NHS advice is to speak to a GP rather than rely on an app.
Plain noise, nature sounds or full soundscapes
Plain noise apps play white, pink or brown noise on a loop, and they're the simplest choice for masking sound. Nature sound apps record rain, wind, waves and fires, which many people find gentler. Soundscape apps let you mix layers and tune frequencies, and some add stories, meditations or smart alarms as part of a subscription.
For focus at work, a quieter, steadier sound usually works better than nature recordings with birds or thunder that grab attention. Parents of babies often want something they can leave running for hours, so check the app keeps playing with the screen locked and doesn't stop when another app makes a sound. And if you share a room, a pair of comfortable earphones lets one person listen without keeping the other awake.
Using a white noise app at bedtime
- Set the volume low enough that you could still hear an alarm.
- Use a sleep timer if you'd rather the sound faded out.
- Download sounds for offline use, so a dropped connection doesn't wake you.
- Switch on Focus or quiet mode so notifications don't break in.
- Place the phone away from your pillow.
- Give one sound a week before judging it.
Small changes that help alongside sound
- A cooler room. The NHS mentions a room that's too hot or cold as a common cause of poor sleep.
- Screens down earlier. My piece asking whether technology can fix our sleep looks at the trade-offs.
- One routine. The same sound at the same time each night becomes a cue to wind down.
- Comfortable bedding. No app can fix a mattress that's past its best.
Do you make a white noise or sleep sound app? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing a white noise app
Start with a free app that does one thing well, such as a simple noise loop with a timer, and see whether sound helps you at all. If it does, a mixer app lets you build something you like; if it doesn't, extra features won't change that.
Keep the volume gentle and the phone away from the bed. And if sleep has been poor for a long time, use the app as a comfort, not as a replacement for talking to a doctor.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free white noise app?
Several apps here are free with optional extra sounds. Subscription sleep apps usually start with a free trial.
Is white noise or pink noise better for sleep?
It's personal. Pink and brown noise sound deeper and softer, and many people find them easier to listen to.
Do white noise apps work offline?
Many do once sounds are downloaded. Check before you rely on one without wifi.
Can white noise help me focus at work?
Steady sound can cover office chatter. A quieter, constant noise is usually less distracting than nature tracks.
How loud should white noise be?
Keep it low and well away from your ears, so it sits in the background rather than over everything.
Does noise affect sleep?
The NHS lists noise among the most common causes of insomnia, alongside stress and an uncomfortable room.
