Rain and Brown Noise for Deep Sleep
A low, steady foundation softened by the natural detail of rainfall.
- Brown Noise 65%
- Rain 38%
Best Brown Noise Apps 2026: Free and Paid, iPhone & Android
Disclosure: Slo is made by the team behind this guide. We checked free access, pricing model, platforms, offline playback, mixing and timers on official pages and US store listings on September 13, 2026; other feature details come from our July 31, 2026 check. We did not conduct hands-on testing. Features and store terms can change.
Slo is a brown noise app for iPhone, Android and Mac with free browser players and a mixer at slonoise.com, and layering is what it does best: put brown noise under rain or a fan and give each layer its own volume. Which app suits you depends on what you want around the sound. Choose White Noise by TMSOFT for a traditional noise-machine app; Calm for brown noise beside stories and meditation; Dark Noise for Apple widgets and mixes; or Apple’s built-in Background Sounds for the simplest iPhone, iPad and Mac option.
Quick comparison
| Pick | Best for | Free access | Paid model | Platforms | Offline | Mixing | Timer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slo | Direct control over ambient layers | Browser players and mixer | App: check the current store | iPhone, Android, Mac; browser | Not claimed | Yes, a volume per layer | Yes, in the browser players |
| White Noise by TMSOFT | A classic noise-machine workflow | Lite edition, with ads | One-time Full and Pro | iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows | Yes, sounds play from the device | Mix Pad | Yes, with fade |
| Calm | Noise alongside guided sleep content | Selected Scenes and meditations | Premium subscription | iPhone, iPad, Android, web | Most sessions can be downloaded | No layer mixer | Not verified |
| Dark Noise | Apple widgets, Shortcuts and custom mixes | 8 sounds and a fade-out timer | Dark Noise Pro in-app purchase | iPhone, iPad, Mac | Yes, sounds stored on the device | Pro only | Yes, with fade |
| Apple Background Sounds | No extra app on Apple devices | Included | None | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro | Not stated by Apple | No | Yes, from iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe |
How we picked
We read each company’s product pages, help center and US App Store or Google Play listing, first on July 31, 2026 and again for access, pricing model, platforms, offline playback, mixing and timers on September 13, 2026. We ranked by brown-noise availability, speed of playback, useful controls, platform coverage and how clearly each company documents the feature. We did not install and test the apps, so this is an editorial comparison, not a listening test or a claim that one app changes sleep or attention.
Brown noise on iPhone or Android
On an iPhone you can play brown noise without installing anything: Apple’s Background Sounds, in Control Center or Accessibility settings, offers noise presets, though Apple labels its low-frequency option “dark noise”. All five picks here run on iPhone. On Android, Background Sounds and Dark Noise are out; Slo, White Noise by TMSOFT and Calm all have Android apps. In any browser, the free brown noise player needs no app at all.
1. Slo: best for layering brown noise
Slo sits brown noise inside a curated library of weather, water and room ambience. Its mixer gives each layer a separate volume control, so you can pair brown noise with rain or another steady texture. Browser players also provide volume and timer controls, which lets you test the basic workflow without installing the app.
Best for: People who want a conventional ambient mixer on iOS, Android or Mac.
Consider: App pricing and entitlements vary, so use the current store listing rather than an old price quoted in a guide.
2. White Noise by TMSOFT: best traditional noise app
TMSOFT’s current product page lists brown noise among 50 bundled sounds. The app also has a Mix Pad, timers and alarms, local playback, recording, and access to community sounds through White Noise Market. It runs on mobile and desktop platforms, making it the broadest documented device choice here.
Best for: People who want a familiar sound-machine interface, offline stock sounds and a one-time paid option.
Consider: TMSOFT sells Lite, Full and Pro variants with different sound quality and tools. Check the feature table before choosing one.
3. Calm: best when brown noise is one part of bedtime
Calm’s official sleep page lists white, green and brown noise soundscapes alongside Sleep Stories, music and sleep meditations. A selection of background Scenes is available without Premium, while full-library access requires a current Calm plan.
Best for: Someone who wants guided content as well as a brown-noise track.
Consider: Calm isn’t presented as a manual multi-layer sound mixer. If layer control is the main requirement, compare Slo, TMSOFT or Dark Noise instead.
4. Dark Noise: best for Apple shortcuts and widgets
Dark Noise lists 50 sounds, custom mixes, a timer, a mini player and customizable widgets in its Mac App Store description. Its mix editor lets you combine sounds and adjust each one’s volume. Keyboard shortcuts and menu-bar support make it easy to start from a Mac.
Best for: Apple users who value fast system controls.
Consider: The free tier has 8 sounds and the timer; the full library and custom mixes need Dark Noise Pro. Every sound is stored on the device, so it plays offline. There is no Android app.
5. Apple Background Sounds: best built-in option
Apple’s Background Sounds feature plays ambient soundscapes on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro. Apple documents ocean, rain and several noise options, along with an equalizer and, from iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe, a stop timer. It is a single-sound system control, not a preset library or full mixer.
Best for: Apple users who want a basic sound without another account or app.
Consider: Apple describes “dark noise,” not brown noise, in parts of its interface. Listen before assuming the labels sound identical.
How to choose a brown noise app
Start with the playback setup. A phone speaker may make brown noise sound thin because it cannot reproduce as much low-frequency energy as larger speakers or suitable headphones. Keep the level comfortable; the aim is to soften distracting sound, not overpower it.
Then choose the smallest workflow that meets your needs:
- Pick a single player if you want one sound and a timer.
- Pick a layer mixer if you want to combine brown noise with rain, wind or another texture.
- Pick a sleep-content app if stories or meditations matter more than detailed audio control.
Brown-noise presets
Compare brown noise in two different mixes
Try a sleep-oriented pair and a focus preset, then remove any layer that keeps pulling your attention.
Deep Work Studio
A low noise floor, spacious focus ambience, and barely audible keys for a settled desk.
- Brown Noise 48%
- Deep Focus 32%
- Keyboard Typing 9%
Frequently asked questions
Is brown noise better than white noise?
Neither is universally better. Brown noise places more energy in lower frequencies, while white noise sounds brighter. The useful choice is the one that masks your room at a comfortable level without becoming distracting. Our noise-color comparison explains the frequency profiles.
Can I leave brown noise on all night?
Apps can play for long periods, but that doesn’t mean you need them to. Use a timer if sound is only useful while you settle down, and keep the volume comfortable. Persistent sleep trouble deserves advice from a qualified clinician rather than an app ranking.
Which app has a brown noise mixer?
Slo, White Noise by TMSOFT and Dark Noise (in its Pro tier) all document manual mixing. Calm offers brown-noise soundscapes in a broader content library. Apple Background Sounds is simpler and does not provide a multi-layer mixer.
Sources checked July 31 and September 13, 2026
- TMSOFT White Noise product and plan details
- Calm sleep content, free-content guide and using Calm offline
- Dark Noise App Store listing, custom-mix documentation and working offline (September 13)
- Apple Background Sounds support
- Slo product-facts ledger and website player/mixer source reviewed July 31, 2026
Related guides
Explore more sounds in Slo
Stack two or three sounds, keep the blend, and let the timer stop it. Slo, on iOS, Android and Mac.
