The box fan sound you sleep with, in your pocket.
A steady box fan sound you can tune from deep brown noise to crisp white noise. Add rain, thunder, crickets or ocean. Set a timer that fades out. Pay $2.99 once for Pro, never a subscription.
One job: help you fall asleep.
Everything below is in the app today. Free features are marked Free, upgrade features are marked Pro.
Box fan sound
A continuous box fan whoosh. Tap the fan or the power button to start, and watch it spin up and wind down.
Brown, pink & white
One-tap presets plus a fine-tune slider across 7 tones, from Deep Brown to Crisp White. What's the difference?
Plays all night
Keeps playing in the background and with the screen locked. Pause or resume from the lock screen or Control Center.
Rain, thunder, crickets, ocean
Play any nature sound alone or mix several over the fan. A balance slider sets how much fan versus nature you hear.
Sleep timer that fades
15 or 30 minutes free, 1 or 2 hours with Pro. Volume fades over the final 30 seconds so nothing cuts off abruptly.
Dark mode
A black screen that stays easy on your eyes when you reach for your phone at night.
Free to use. $2.99 once for everything.
US price shown. Apple sets local prices in other countries.
| Feature | Free | Pro ($2.99 once) |
|---|---|---|
| Box fan sound, speed and tone control | Yes | Yes |
| Brown, pink and white noise presets | Yes | Yes |
| Background and lock screen playback | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep timer | 15 and 30 min | 15 min to 2 hours |
| Rain, thunder, crickets, ocean | No | Yes, alone or mixed |
| Fan / nature balance slider | No | Yes |
| Dark mode | No | Yes |
| Subscription | None | None |
Real fan, subscription app, or Box Fan Sleep?
If you need moving air, buy a fan. If you only need the sound, you have options. Read the full box fan guide.
| Real box fan | Typical subscription sleep app | Box Fan Sleep | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Buy the fan, plus electricity | Recurring weekly, monthly or yearly plan | Free, or $2.99 once |
| Moves air / cools you | Yes | No | No |
| Cold air in winter | Yes, unless you point it away | No | No |
| Comes with you when you travel | Rarely | Yes | Yes |
| Dust and cleaning | Grille and blades collect dust | None | None |
| Tone control | Usually 3 speeds | Varies | 7 tones, brown to white |
| Ads or account | None | Often an account, sometimes ads | Neither |
Why a steady sound helps, and how to use it well
Sudden sounds, like a door, a car or a neighbor's voice, are more likely to wake you than a steady background sound. A constant sound such as a fan makes those changes stand out less. That masking effect is why so many people keep a fan running year-round, even when they don't need the air.
Recent research adds a sensible caution. A 2026 University of Pennsylvania sleep-lab trial found that pink noise played all night at 40 to 50 dBA reduced REM sleep in people who didn't normally sleep with sound, and that earplugs blocked traffic noise better than pink noise. Earlier reviews rated the evidence that noise improves sleep as low quality.
So the best way to use a fan sound is: low volume, phone a few feet away, and a timer that fades out once you're asleep. Box Fan Sleep's 15 and 30 minute fade-out timers are free for exactly this reason.
Made for people who already sleep with a fan
Noisy apartments
Soften traffic, neighbors and hallway noise with a steady fan sound.
Travelers
Your home fan sound in any hotel room, offline, without packing a fan.
Winter fan sleepers
The sound without the cold air, the dust or the electric bill.
Students and shared rooms
Use it with earbuds or a speaker when a roommate keeps different hours.
Parents
If you use sound for a baby, pediatric guidance is under 50 dB, at least two feet from the crib, and off once asleep. The fade-out timer helps.
Ringing ears
Some people use background sound to make ringing less noticeable. If you have tinnitus, ask an audiologist about sound therapy.
Box Fan Sleep at a glance
- Full name
- Box Fan Sleep: White Noise
- Devices
- iPhone and iPad (iOS / iPadOS 17 or later); also runs on Apple silicon Macs
- Price
- Free download; Pro Upgrade $2.99 one-time in-app purchase (US price)
- Subscription
- None
- Ads
- None
- Account
- Not required
- Offline
- Yes, all sounds play without internet
- Fan sound
- Brown, pink and white presets; 7 tones from Deep Brown to Crisp White
- Nature sounds (Pro)
- Rain, thunder, crickets, ocean; play alone or mixed with the fan
- Sleep timer
- 15 and 30 minutes free; 1 and 2 hours with Pro; fades over the final 30 seconds
- Category
- Health & Fitness
- Developer
- Gökçe Duman, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Support
- goksdevelops@gmail.com
Sleep sound guides
Sleep sound research, 2026
The new Penn sleep-lab trial on pink noise, REM sleep and earplugs, and every key study in plain English.
Read the summary →Brown vs pink vs white noise
What each sounds like, how they differ, and what the research actually says about sleep.
Read the guide →Best box fan for sleeping
What to look for in a box fan, and how to tell when you only need the sound.
Read the guide →Fan noise app with no subscription
How to spot subscriptions on the App Store and what you get for free.
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
What is Box Fan Sleep?
Box Fan Sleep: White Noise is an iPhone and iPad app that plays the sound of a box fan for sleep. You can shift the tone from deep brown noise to crisp white noise, layer rain, thunder, crickets or ocean on top, and set a sleep timer that fades out.
Is Box Fan Sleep free?
Yes. The download is free and the fan sound, the brown, pink and white noise presets, background playback and the 15 and 30 minute timers are free. A one-time $2.99 Pro upgrade (US price) unlocks the nature sounds, the 1 and 2 hour timers and dark mode.
Does Box Fan Sleep have a subscription?
No. There is no weekly, monthly or yearly plan. Pro is a single in-app purchase that you pay for once and keep.
What does the Pro upgrade include?
Pro adds rain, thunder, crickets and ocean sounds that you can play alone or mixed with the fan, a slider to balance fan versus nature sound, 1 hour and 2 hour sleep timers, and dark mode.
Does it keep playing when my phone is locked?
Yes. Sound keeps playing in the background and with the screen locked, and you can pause or resume from the lock screen or Control Center. It also keeps playing while you use other apps.
Does Box Fan Sleep work offline or in airplane mode?
Yes. All sounds are stored on your device, so it plays without an internet connection. You only need a connection to buy or restore the Pro upgrade.
Can I play rain without the fan?
Yes, with Pro. Each nature sound can play on its own or together with the fan, and the sleep timer works with either.
Can I use Box Fan Sleep for my baby?
Use caution. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping sound for infants below 50 dB, at least two feet from the crib, and turning it off once the baby is asleep. The researchers behind a 2026 University of Pennsylvania sleep study also cautioned against broadband noise for newborns and toddlers. If you use Box Fan Sleep for a baby, keep the volume low, the phone away from the crib, and use the sleep timer.
Is Box Fan Sleep available on Android?
Not at the moment. It is available for iPhone and iPad, and it also runs on Mac computers with Apple silicon.
How does the sleep timer work?
Pick 15 or 30 minutes (free) or 1 or 2 hours (Pro). The volume fades gradually over the final 30 seconds and then everything stops, so the sound does not cut off abruptly.
Download now. Sleep tonight.
Free on iPhone and iPad. Pro is a one-time $2.99 upgrade. No subscription, no ads, no account.