Most of us won’t get iOS 18 on our iPhones until September, but the software is now in developer beta, with new features being added regularly, including some handy upgrades to background sounds and dark mode.
First there are the background noises, as noted by MacRumorsSince iOS 15 in 2021, it has been possible to have your iPhone play ambient sound to help you relax or focus, with options such as the sound of the ocean or falling rain.
Now there are two new sounds, in addition to the existing six: Night and Fire. According to GizchinaThe former features the sound of soft wind and chirping crickets, while the latter features the sound of a crackling and popping fire.
Assuming these new loops stay in place during the beta, you’ll have even more options for background noise. You can access the feature by tapping the Accessibility menu in iOS Settings and then tap Audio & Visual And Background noises.
It is getting dark
Another new change, according to Tom’s guideconcerns the home screen icons: it seems that all app icons are now displayed in a dark mode, even if the app developer has not configured a specific alternative appearance for the app.
That should make for a better visual experience when you enable dark mode on your iPhone. However, early testing has shown that these forced dark app icons don’t look as nice as custom developer-made icons.
Together, these updates should help you unwind after a long day of phone use. You can dim your iPhone screen and listen to the sounds of a quiet night or a crackling campfire to relax you toward bedtime.
In recent weeks, we’ve also seen new features including dynamic wallpapers and RCS support being added to iOS 18. The public beta of the software is expected to be available later this month, with the final version launching in September with the iPhone 16.