In macOS Ventura, Apple introduced a new accessibility feature called Background Sounds, which are designed to help you stay focused, stay calm, and minimize distractions. Keep reading to learn how it works.
In iOS 15 and later, there is a feature that lets you play ambient soundscapes in the background on your iPhone, and with the release of macOS Ventura, these sounds are now available on Macs, too.
The Background Sounds on offer include balanced, bright, and dark noise, as well as natural sounds like ocean, rain, and stream. All of the sounds can be set to play in the background to mask unwanted environmental or external noise, and the sounds mix into or duck under other audio and system sounds.
Follow the steps to access the Background Sounds feature in macOS 13 and later.
- Click the Apple () symbol in your Mac's menu bar.
- Select System Settings... from the dropdown menu.
- Select Accessibility from the settings sidebar, then click Audio under the "Hearing" sub-menu.
- In the section titled "Background Sounds," click the Choose... button.
- Click the download button next to the sound you want to use.
- Once the audio file has downloaded, click Done.
- Toggle on the switch next to Background Sounds to begin playing the ambient soundscape.
You can adjust the volume of the background sound independently using the volume slider in the Background Sounds menu. Note there's also an option to Turn off background sounds when your Mac is not in use – this will automatically turn off the audio when the Lock Screen or screen saver is active.
