Free Web App
Focus Sounds — quiet that works
Steady background noise for focused work: brown, pink and white noise and rain, a work timer and adjustable "warmth". There is no audio file and no streaming — the sound is generated in real time on your device, runs without limit, and works offline. Open a browser tab and get to work. The interface is in Hebrew; the controls are self-explanatory.
What is inside
Four sounds
Brown noise (warm and deep — the recommended one), pink noise (balanced), white noise (sharp) and rain (filtered noise with a slow swell). All are generated mathematically the moment you press play — there is no loop that repeats.
Volume and warmth
A volume slider and a "warmth" filter that cuts the highs — so the noise covers the room without wearing you out.
Work timer
25, 50 or 90 minutes, or unlimited, with a countdown. The sound stops at the end — a gentle reminder to get up.
Binaural — experimental
A binaural-beat layer (headphones only), with an honest note inside the app: the scientific evidence for it is weak. Try it and see whether it helps you.
Zero dependencies
A single file that runs in the browser. You can "add to home screen" and use it as an app. No server, no account, no cookies.
Built to open and forget
One screen, no needless settings. The only thing you need to do is press play.
Why noise and not music — what the research shows
The app was built after going through the research literature on background sound and attention. The honest summary: there is good evidence that steady background noise helps some people — especially those who struggle with attention — and that music with lyrics actually hurts verbal work. We wrote down what the research does not show as well.
| Finding | Source | In the app |
|---|---|---|
| White noise improved cognitive performance in children with ADHD and actually impaired the control group. The explanation: "stochastic resonance" — a moderate level of noise improves processing in a system with low dopamine. | Söderlund, Sikström & Smart, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 48(8), 2007 — Listen to the noise | Noise as the default, at low volume — and the understanding that it does not suit everyone. |
| A literature review found that white noise improved certain tasks in children with ADHD (speech recognition, reading and writing speed) but not all of them, and called for more research on the right dose. | Pickens, Khan & Berlau, Complementary Therapies in Medicine 42, 2019 — review | A fine volume slider instead of "louder is better"; the in-app tip: just cover the room. |
| In healthy adults, learning new words against white noise led to better recall over time than learning in silence (80 participants). | Angwin et al., Scientific Reports 7, 2017 — White noise enhances new-word learning | Noise as an option also for people with no attention difficulty, for learning and memorising. |
| In reading comprehension, silence gave the best result; music with lyrics — liked or disliked — hurt performance, instrumental music less so. | Perham & Currie, Applied Cognitive Psychology 28(2), 2014 — study on music and reading comprehension | No playlists and no music — only content-free noise, with nothing to "listen to". |
| A meta-analysis of 22 studies on binaural beats found a medium average effect (g = 0.45) on cognition and anxiety — but with large variation between studies and dependence on frequency, duration and timing. | Garcia-Argibay, Santed & Reales, Psychological Research 83, 2019 — meta-analysis | The binaural layer exists, but it is off by default and marked "experimental" with a note that the evidence is weak. |
| The drop in vigilance during a long task comes from "habituating" to the goal; brief, rare breaks from the task prevented the drop. | Ariga & Lleras, Cognition 118(3), 2011 — Brief and rare mental breaks | A 25/50/90-minute timer that stops the sound — a built-in break, not another notification. |
How to use it well
- Start with brown noise at low volume — just enough to "cover" the noise around you, no more.
- For verbal work (writing, reading, drafting) — noise, not music. Music with lyrics interferes.
- Start a timer. The sound stopping is your break.
- If it does not help — switch it off. That is not failure, that is individuality.
Privacy
The app is a single page that runs on your device. No server receives anything, there is no account, no cookies and no tracking. The sound does not come from the internet — it is computed when you press play, which is also why it never ends.
Need quiet? It is open.
No installation, no sign-up. If it helps you work — send it to someone who works next to you.
Open Focus Sounds