Set up background sounds

Use your Mac's ability to play white noise to help you focus

- Kenny Hemphill

IT WILL TAKE

20 minutes

YOU WILL LEARN  

How to use background sounds

YOU’LL NEED

macOS 13

Some of us like to work in complete silence. Many of us don’t. Or can’t. But then we also find music or podcasts distracting. And sometimes, when meditating or just trying to find some stillness during a stressful day, neither absolute silence, nor the stimulus that comes from listening to something with which our brain engages, like music, will do.

On these occasions, white noise is often the solution. Soothing background sounds that fill the ears and block out what’s going on around us without creating further stimulation can benefit all of us. Apple introduced the ability to play background sounds on iPhone in iOS 15 and macOS Ventura now brings the feature to the Mac.

The controls for the feature are tucked away in the Accessibility section of System Settings, giving a hint that Apple sees this as a feature for neurodivergent users. However, as we’ve discussed, it’s a feature that can be of help in many situations and to anyone.

Genius tip! 

You can listen to background sounds on and offline. But the first time you choose one, you will have to be online so it can be downloaded.

HOW TO Set up background sounds

1 Enable background sounds