How to play background sounds like rain on a Mac

howtosimply.com/guides/how-to-play-background-sounds-like-rain-on-a-mac/ · Checked 4 October 2026 · MacBook Pro · macOS Tahoe 26

6 of 6 steps with real screenshots · 3 official sources below

Device

Mac

Shown on

macOS Tahoe 26 (MacBook Pro)

App

System Settings

Real screenshots

6 of 6 steps

Checked

4 October 2026

Sources

3 official, linked below

Step by step

1. 

   Open System Settings

   Click the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen and choose System Settings.

   Done

2. 

   Click Accessibility, then Audio

   Accessibility is in the sidebar. Audio is the first row of the Hearing group on the right.

   Done

3. 

   Switch on Background sounds

   It is the first row of the Background Sounds group. In the picture it is off.

   Done

4. 

   Choose the sound

   Click Choose in the Background sound row. In the picture the sound is set to Rain.

   Done

5. 

   Set the volume

   Drag the Background sounds volume slider. This is separate from the system volume.

   Done

6. 

   Let it stop by itself

   Timer stops the sounds at a specific time or after an amount of time. The switch at the bottom of the group turns them off automatically when the Mac sleeps, the screen saver is on or the screen is locked.

   Done

About this guide

macOS has a built-in noise player. The settings page describes its purpose: background sounds mask unwanted environmental noise, and can minimise distractions, increase a sense of focus and help with symptoms related to tinnitus.

The screenshots show System Settings on macOS Tahoe 26.

Good to know

Equalizer adjusts the volume of different frequency ranges in the background sound.

In short: Apple menu, System Settings…, Accessibility, Audio, Background sounds on, Choose…, pick a sound, OK.