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November 7, 2025

Best Tinnitus Apps 2026 – An Honest Comparison

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Best tinnitus apps 2026
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Quick answer
Which tinnitus app keeps playing during phone calls?

Tinnitus Relief App is built to keep sound therapy running through phone calls, video meetings, other apps and a locked screen. Most other apps, including ReSound Relief, MindEar, Oto and myNoise, follow standard system behaviour and pause when a call comes in. Background play is free for every user.

Is there a tinnitus app that is really free?

Tinnitus Relief App has a permanent free tier, not a trial: white noise at your matched pitch, background play during calls and locked screen, and frequency matching, with no time limit and no account. Premium is optional and adds the 44-sound library, the sleep timer with fade-out and per-ear control; the price is shown in the app before you pay. Oto is now sold through audiology clinics, and MindEar and ReSound Relief keep their full programmes behind a subscription or a hearing-aid purchase.

10 min read·Updated September 2026·iOS & Android

There are dozens of tinnitus apps, and most look alike on a store page. The differences that matter show up on a Tuesday afternoon: whether the sound survives a phone call, whether the free tier is real or a countdown, whether you can tune the sound to your own pitch, and what you actually pay. This page compares the apps people search for most, on those points.

Important. This page is informational. Tinnitus Relief App is not a medical device. If your tinnitus is new, sudden, in one ear only, pulsatile, or comes with hearing loss, dizziness or pain, see a healthcare professional before relying on any app.

Why the choice of app matters

Sound therapy is one of the better-documented non-invasive approaches to living with tinnitus. But a sound therapy app that stops when the phone rings is not a sound therapy app for real life. That single complaint, the audio cutting out at the moment it was needed, is the most frequent one in reviews of tinnitus apps, and it applies to almost all of them.

The apps compared here are the ones people search for in 2026: Oto and MindEar, both built around cognitive behavioural therapy; ReSound Relief and the Oticon companion apps, made by hearing-aid manufacturers; myNoise and general sleep-sound apps; and Tinnitus Relief App, built around continuous playback. Each has real strengths. Only one keeps playing through a call by default.

Six things to compare before you install

Based on public App Store, Google Play and vendor pages as of early September 2026. Third-party details can change; verify with the vendor before buying. Sleep timer, per-ear control and offline use are covered in each app's card below.

Plays through phone calls
Tinnitus Relief App✓ Yes, free
Oto✗ System behaviour
MindEar✗ System behaviour
ReSound Relief✗ Pauses
myNoise✗ Pauses
Hearing-aid apps✗ Pauses
Locked-screen playback
Tinnitus Relief App✓ Yes, free
Oto~ Media-style
MindEar~ Media-style
ReSound Relief~ Varies
myNoise~ Varies
Hearing-aid apps~ Varies
Frequency matching
Tinnitus Relief App✓ 100–15,000 Hz, free
Oto✗ Not a stated feature
MindEar✗ Not a stated feature
ReSound Relief~ Some versions
myNoise✗ No
Hearing-aid apps~ Via hearing aid fitting
Permanent free tier
Tinnitus Relief App✓ White noise + background play
Oto✗ Clinic-led access
MindEar~ Limited free tier
ReSound Relief✓ Free app
myNoise~ Free with paid packs
Hearing-aid apps~ Free, hardware required
Account required
Tinnitus Relief App✓ None
Oto✗ Clinic creates it
MindEar✗ Yes
ReSound Relief~ Optional
myNoise~ Optional
Hearing-aid apps✗ Yes
Published price
Tinnitus Relief AppFree core · Premium optional
OtoCare plan, ~£300 to ~$1,000
MindEar~$6/month or $59–69/year
ReSound ReliefFree
myNoiseFree + packs
Hearing-aid appsFree with GN or Oticon devices

Each app, in detail

Tinnitus Relief App

This app · iOS and Android · tinnitusreliefapp.com

Built for people whose tinnitus does not stop when life gets busy. The defining feature: sound keeps playing through phone calls, meetings, YouTube and a locked screen, free for everyone.

  • Continuous audio during calls and locked screen, free
  • Frequency matching from 100 to 15,000 Hz on the dial, free
  • 44 sounds selected for masking, sleep timer with fade-out, per-ear frequency and volume (Premium)
  • Permanent free tier, no countdown
  • No account, no tracking, works offline
  • No CBT programme or coaching: it is a sound tool, not a course
Free core · Premium optional, price shown in the app

Oto

CBT programme · clinic-led since 2026

Oto is a structured CBT-based programme with guided audio sessions, education and progress tracking, and in its current form a clinician stays involved. The app is a free download, but new accounts are created by a participating audiology clinic as part of a care plan, and the clinic sets the price. Published examples range from around £300 for app access at a UK clinic to $500 to $1,000 for a basic US plan, with the app bundled when hearing aids are included.

  • Structured programme with supportive research behind the CBT approach
  • Professional involvement, if you want it
  • No self-serve purchase anymore: you need a participating clinic
  • Sound library supports the programme; playback follows system behaviour during calls
Care plan set by the clinic · full Oto cost and alternative page

MindEar

CBT programme · eight weeks · subscription

MindEar comes out of university tinnitus research and takes a CBT-first approach: guided exercises, breathing and relaxation sessions, education and a chat-based programme spread over about eight weeks. Users consistently praise the relaxation content. The free tier is limited; the full programme sits behind a subscription, roughly $6 a month or $59 to $69 a year depending on the offer shown.

  • Well-designed programme for working on your reaction to tinnitus
  • Soundscapes exist, but as supporting content, not the product
  • Account required; reviews mention repeated logins and short sound loops
  • Playback follows standard system behaviour
Free tier + subscription · MindEar alternative page

ReSound Relief

Hearing-aid manufacturer app · free

One of the most downloaded tinnitus apps, from GN Hearing. It offers sound therapy, relaxation exercises and educational content, and it is free. It is designed first for GN hearing-aid users, and the most frequent complaint in reviews is the audio pausing when a call comes in.

  • Free, with a broad sound and relaxation library
  • Some versions include a balance control and guided exercises
  • Audio pauses during calls, confirmed across user reviews
  • No frequency matching in the app itself
Free

myNoise and general sleep-sound apps

Sleep and focus · not tinnitus-specific

myNoise has an excellent, finely adjustable sound library and a browser version. Calm, Endel and similar apps are optimised for sleep and focus. None of them is designed around tinnitus: no pitch matching, and libraries that were not built to sit alongside a high-frequency ringing.

  • Large variety of natural and ambient sounds
  • Sleep timers in most
  • Audio pauses during phone calls
  • No tinnitus frequency matching
  • Free versions often carry ads or limited packs
Free with paid packs, or a general subscription

Oticon and other hearing-aid companion apps

Manufacturer integration · hardware required

Apps such as Oticon Tinnitus Sound stream relief sounds through the matching brand's hearing aids. The integration is tight, and useless without the devices. If you already wear those hearing aids, this is a coherent option; if you do not, it is not an option at all.

  • Best possible integration for users of that brand's devices
  • Tinnitus sound options included
  • Not usable as a standalone app
  • No free independent use without the hardware
Free, but requires compatible hearing aids

The phone-call problem, and why most apps fail it

Phone calls are often the hardest moments for someone with tinnitus. Silence in one ear makes the ringing seem louder, exactly when you need to listen to someone. The relief sound has to keep going, not stop, when a call arrives.

Most tinnitus apps are built on standard media frameworks that hand control to the operating system during a call. The system pauses background audio. Getting around that takes deliberate engineering, and most developers do not do it. Tinnitus Relief App was built from the start to keep audio running through calls; that frustration, testing other apps and watching each one stop the moment the phone rang, is why it exists.

How to choose

  • You want the ringing covered tonight, during work calls and through the night: a sound-first app with locked-screen and call playback.
  • You want to change how much the sound bothers you, over months: a CBT programme such as MindEar, or Oto through a clinic.
  • You wear GN or Oticon hearing aids: start with the manufacturer's companion app.
  • You want a huge sound library for sleep and do not need pitch matching: myNoise.

These are not mutually exclusive. Some people run a CBT programme and use a masking app for nights and calls. Individual results vary significantly, so judge any app on a week of real use, not on its store page.

Try the one that keeps playing

White noise at your pitch, frequency matching and background play through calls and locked screen are free. No account, works offline. Premium optional.

Download freeFree forever · Premium optional · No credit card required

Frequently asked questions

Which tinnitus app keeps playing during phone calls?
Tinnitus Relief App is built to keep sound therapy running through phone calls, video meetings, other apps and a locked screen. Most other apps, including ReSound Relief, MindEar, Oto and myNoise, follow standard system behaviour and pause when a call comes in. Background play is free for every user.
Is there a tinnitus app that is really free?
Tinnitus Relief App has a permanent free tier, not a trial: white noise at your matched pitch, background play during calls and locked screen, and frequency matching, with no time limit and no account. Premium is optional and adds the 44-sound library, the sleep timer with fade-out and per-ear control; the price is shown in the app before you pay. Oto is now sold through audiology clinics, and MindEar and ReSound Relief keep their full programmes behind a subscription or a hearing-aid purchase.
What is the best tinnitus app for sleep?
The one whose sound keeps playing when the screen locks and that fades out instead of stopping abruptly. A sudden silence is a change in sound, and changes wake people up. Look for locked-screen playback, a fade-out timer and a low-frequency option such as brown noise. Individual results vary significantly.
Are CBT apps like Oto and MindEar better than sound therapy apps?
They do different jobs. CBT-based programmes work on your reaction to tinnitus and have supportive research for reducing distress. Sound therapy works on the sound itself and supports habituation from the first session. Neither is a cure, and some people use both: a programme for the long term and a masking app for nights and calls.
How much do tinnitus apps cost in 2026?
Oto is no longer sold as a self-serve subscription: a participating audiology clinic creates your account, and published examples of care plans run from around £300 to around $1,000. MindEar runs about $6 a month or $59 to $69 a year. ReSound Relief is free but built for GN hearing-aid users. myNoise is free with paid packs. Tinnitus Relief App is free at its core, with Premium optional. Prices change; check each vendor before deciding.
Do tinnitus apps actually work?
Sound therapy apps can make tinnitus less intrusive in daily life, but only while the sound is playing, and consistent daily use over weeks to months is what supports habituation. The 2018 Cochrane review found no convincing evidence that sound therapy outperforms other approaches, though it remains widely recommended as a low-risk option. Individual results vary significantly.
Do tinnitus apps work?What makes an app effectiveFrequency matching guideSleeping with tinnitusTinnitus during phone callsWhen to use the app
Disclaimer: Tinnitus Relief App is not a medical device and does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition. If your tinnitus is new, sudden, one-sided, pulsatile, or accompanied by hearing loss, dizziness or pain, consult a healthcare professional. Third-party product names are trademarks of their respective owners and are referenced for comparison only; their details are based on publicly available vendor and store pages as of early September 2026 and may change. Individual results vary significantly.
Sources
  1. Sereda M, et al. Sound therapy (using amplification devices and/or sound generators) for tinnitus. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2018.
  2. Tunkel DE, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline: Tinnitus. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. 2014;151(2 Suppl):S1–S40.
  3. Baguley D, McFerran D, Hall D. Tinnitus. The Lancet. 2013;382(9904):1600–1607.
  4. Fuller T, et al. Cognitive behavioural therapy for tinnitus. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2020.
  5. Vendor and store pages for Oto, MindEar, ReSound Relief, myNoise and Oticon, consulted September 2026.