While Ambient Sounds was well accepted among HomePod users, many users started asking for the feature on the iPhone and the iPad. Given the same, Apple brought Ambient Sounds on the iPhone and the iPad with the release of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, respectively. This time under the name Background Sounds. So now, every time you’re in an indoor or outdoor setting, and there are unwanted external noises in the background, you can turn on Background Sounds on your iPhone/iPad to mask these noises and, in turn, help yourself focus or stay calm.
How to Enable Background Sounds on iPhone and iPad
To use Background Sounds, you need to be running iOS 15 on your iPhone and iPadOS 15 on your iPad. So if you aren’t using the latest release, make sure to update your device and then follow the steps below to enable background sounds on your iPhone or iPad:
Other Ways to Enable Background Sounds on iPhone and iPad
Although using the Settings app is one way to enable Background Sounds on the iPhone and the iPad, you can also do the same via the Control Center or using the Back Tap feature (iPhone-only), as shown below.
1. Turn On Background Sounds Via Control Center
Control Center is home to several control options. Hearing is one such control, and Background Sounds is one of its many features. Here’s how to add the Hearing control to your iPhone or iPad’s Control Center: Once it’s added, scroll down from the top-right of your phone (on non-Home Button iPhones/iPads) and swipe up from the bottom (on iPhones and iPads with a Home Button) to bring up Control Center. Here, click on the Hearing control (one with the ear icon) and tap on Background Sounds to turn it on.
Click on Background Sounds and tap on a sound to use it. Then, use the slider to adjust the volume of the background sound.
To turn off Background Sounds, tap on the Background Sounds icon at the bottom.
2. Turn On Background Sounds Using Back Tap (iPhone Only)
Back Tap is an accessibility feature introduced in iOS 14 that lets you double-tap or triple-tap on the back of your iPhone to perform certain actions. For instance, you can use Back Tap to lock the screen, turn on the flashlight, take a screenshot, bring up the app switcher, among other things. As an accessibility feature itself, Background Sounds is also listed under Back Tap actions. So we can use Back Tap to turn on Background Sounds even faster and more efficiently. Here are the steps to do this: Now, simply double-tap or triple-tap on the back of your iPhone to turn on Background Sounds. Use volume rockers to adjust the volume levels. If you want to change the ambient sound, you can either go into Background Sounds under Settings or use its control in Control Center and change it from there. When you want to turn off iPhone Background Sounds, simply double-or-triple tap on your iPhone’s back, and it will be turned off.
Do Away With Distractions and Improve Your Focus
At times when you’re out—working from a cafe or sitting by yourself reading a book—unwanted environmental noises can cause distractions and hinder your ability to concentrate. iPhone Background Sounds helps eliminate this problem to some degree by masking such noises with ambient sounds.
