Here Are the New Background Sounds in iOS 26
With iOS 26, Apple added a bunch of new options for the Background Sounds feature. If you're unfamiliar with it, it is an Accessibility option that allows your iPhone to play soothing background noise, like white noise or rain.

Prior to iOS 26, there were eight Background Sounds options, but now there are a total of sixteen. Here's what's new:
- Babble
- Steam
- Airplane
- Boat
- Bus
- Train
- Rain on Roof
- Quiet Night
These join the original eight, which include Balanced Noise, Bright Noise, Dark Noise, Ocean, Rain, Stream, Night, and Fire.
Background Sounds can be toggled on in the Settings app under Accessibility > Audio and Visual > Background Sounds. Once you've opted in and selected a sound, you can toggle Background Sounds on and off through the Hearing Accessibility shortcut in the Control Center.
iOS 26 is only available for developers right now, but Apple plans to release a public beta in July. The software will launch in September alongside new iPhones.
Popular Stories
Apple today released iOS 26.6.2 with a fix for "an issue that prevents downloading a software update over a cellular connection."
The minor software update is rolling out now for the iPhone 11 series and newer. To update your iPhone, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update. It might take a few minutes for the update to be visible to everyone.
iOS 26.6.2 arrives...
Apple today released iOS 26.6.1, iPadOS 26.6.1, visionOS 26.6.1, and macOS 26.6.2, with all of the updates containing security fixes.
Apple also released iOS 18.7.10 and iPadOS 18.7.10 with security fixes.
All of the iOS and iPadOS updates released today deliver security fixes that were first made available in the iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 betas, according to an Apple support document, which...
The iOS 26.6.1, iPadOS 26.6.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.6.2 updates Apple released today fix almost 30 security vulnerabilities, according to Apple's security support document. This is Apple's third security release in three weeks as AI surfaces bugs faster than the company's typical release schedule can absorb.
Apple says the software includes security fixes that were previously added to the iOS...