Tinnitus Relief App – Quiet Your Ringing Ears Tonight
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5 min read · Updated 5 September 2026 · Written by the Tinnitus Relief App team · Sources listed at the end of this page
Quick answer
What does a tinnitus relief app do?
It plays sound therapy — steady noise plus a tone matched to your tinnitus pitch — so the ringing feels less prominent. Tinnitus Relief App does this free, and keeps playing during phone calls, videos and with the screen locked.
Can an app stop tinnitus?
No app can cure tinnitus. Sound therapy is evidence-informed support for comfort and habituation, not a cure. Individual results vary significantly.
Ringing ears at 2 a.m. A hiss under every phone call. Tinnitus is exhausting because it never takes a break — and most sound apps do, cutting out the moment you answer a call or lock your screen. Tinnitus Relief App was built to keep playing. Start free, no signup, on iOS and Android.
Why tinnitus matters
Tinnitus is a sound with no outside source. Your auditory system generates it, and your brain flags it as important. That is why it feels loudest in quiet rooms and at night. Research on people with chronic tinnitus links it closely with insomnia, and poor sleep tends to make the ringing feel louder the next day. Breaking that loop is where sound therapy can help.
What is a tinnitus relief app?
A tinnitus relief app is a ringing in ears app that plays sound therapy on your phone. It gives your brain an external sound to rest on so the internal ringing has less contrast to stand out against. Over time, this supports habituation: the process by which your brain files tinnitus as background noise instead of a threat. Read the mechanism in full in our guide to how sound therapy works.
How Tinnitus Relief App works
Most apps handle playback as an afterthought. For us it is the whole point. The app was built around one requirement: the sound must not stop when a call comes in or another app takes over. Here is what runs under the hood.
Frequency-matched pitch tone
Dial a tone to the pitch closest to your own ringing. Hearing an external version of your tinnitus is the starting point of habituation, so this is included free and plays alongside white noise. To find your pitch, use the frequency matching guide.
White noise tinnitus sound masking
Broadband white noise sits under the ringing without covering it completely. Partial masking keeps the ringing audible but less intrusive, which is what habituation needs.
Background playback that never drops
Sound keeps playing during phone calls, Zoom, YouTube, other apps and with the screen locked. This is the feature the app was built around, and it stays free for everyone. No account, no signup.
44 custom sound therapy options
Brown noise, rain, ocean, forest, fan and more. Layer them with your pitch tone to build a custom sound therapy mix for tinnitus that you can stand for hours.
Sleep timer with fade-out
Set the sleep timer and the sound fades gently instead of stopping abruptly. For a full night routine, see sleeping with tinnitus.
Per-ear frequency control and unlimited presets
Tinnitus is often different in each ear. Set a separate pitch left and right, then save unlimited presets for work, commuting and bed.
Pricing. The free tier is permanent, not a trial. Premium is $29.99 for the first year as a launch offer, renewing at $39.99 per year, or $49.99 once for lifetime access.
Tinnitus relief app for iPhone and Android
The free tier is identical on both platforms. What differs is how each system handles background audio, so here is what to expect on your phone.
iPhone and iPad
Sound keeps playing when a call comes in, when you switch to another app, and with the screen locked. Playback controls appear on the lock screen and in Control Centre, so you can adjust volume without unlocking. Requires iOS 15 or later.
Android
Same continuous playback during calls and with the screen off. If audio stops after a few minutes on some phones, exclude the app from battery optimisation in Settings → Apps → Tinnitus Relief App → Battery. This is a one-time change.
What the evidence says about results
We do not publish invented star ratings or before-and-after claims. Here is what the research supports, and what it does not.
- Sound therapy is a long-established, evidence-informed approach. The habituation model behind it dates to Jastreboff's neurophysiological work in 1990.
- A 2018 Cochrane review (Sereda and colleagues) found no convincing evidence that sound therapy is superior to other approaches. In plain terms: it helps some people, and it is not a cure.
- Some people notice the ringing feels less intrusive within the first sessions. For others, habituation takes weeks or months of regular use. Individual results vary significantly.
What we can state without hedging is the engineering result: the audio keeps playing through calls, video and locked screen. That is a measurable feature, not a health claim.
Get started tonight in 3 simple steps
- Download and openNo signup. The app opens straight to the player on first launch.
- Match your pitchMove the tone until it sits closest to your ringing, then add white noise underneath. Keep the volume just below your tinnitus — never above it.
- Play it through the dayTake a call, watch a video, lock the screen. The sound stays on. At bedtime, premium users can set the sleep timer to fade out.
Frequently asked questions
Can this app cure tinnitus?
No. There is no known cure for tinnitus, and no app should claim one. Tinnitus Relief App offers evidence-informed sound therapy that some people find makes the ringing less intrusive over time. Individual results vary significantly.
Is it safe to use sound therapy every day?
Sound therapy at comfortable volume is generally considered safe for most people. Keep the volume below the level of your tinnitus and below normal conversation. If you have hyperacusis or pain from sound, ask an audiologist before starting.
Which types of tinnitus does it help with?
The app is designed for steady tonal or hissing tinnitus, the most common kind. It is not designed for pulsatile tinnitus (a rhythmic pulse in time with your heartbeat), which should be assessed by a doctor. Hearing loss does not rule sound therapy out, though results differ from person to person.
How long until I notice relief?
Some people feel calmer within the first session simply because the ringing has company. Habituation is slower and usually takes weeks to months of regular listening. Individual results vary significantly, and a tinnitus diary can help you see the trend.
Does it really keep playing during phone calls?
Yes. Continuous playback during calls, Zoom, YouTube and locked screen is the reason the app exists, and it is free for every user. Most sound apps pause the moment another app takes the audio channel.
Is there a free tinnitus app for iPhone?
Yes. Tinnitus Relief App is free on iPhone and iPad from the App Store, with white noise, a pitch-matched tone and background playback included at no cost and no account. The same free tier is available on Android from Google Play. Premium is optional on both.
What is free and what is premium?
Free forever: white noise, the frequency-matched pitch tone, and background playback with no signup. Premium adds 44 sounds, the sleep timer with fade-out, per-ear frequency control and unlimited presets. Premium is $29.99 for the first year, then $39.99 a year, or $49.99 for lifetime access.
What if my tinnitus is sudden, one-sided or pulsing?
See a doctor promptly, ideally within 48 hours. Sudden tinnitus, tinnitus in one ear only, or tinnitus with hearing loss, dizziness or a pulsing rhythm needs professional assessment before any app. Our guide to the first 48 hours of tinnitus explains what to do.
Download the app now and take the sound with you
Into calls, into videos, into sleep. Free to start, no signup, iOS and Android.
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Disclaimer. Tinnitus Relief App is a sound therapy tool, not a medical device. We are not doctors and this page is not medical advice. It does not diagnose any condition. Sound therapy supports comfort and habituation for some people; individual results vary significantly. If your tinnitus is sudden, one-sided, pulsing, or accompanied by hearing loss or dizziness, consult a doctor or audiologist promptly.
- Jarach CM, Lugo A, Scala M, et al. Global Prevalence and Incidence of Tinnitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Neurology. 2022;79(9):888–900. jamanetwork.com
- Sereda M, Xia J, El Refaie A, Hall DA, Hoare DJ. Sound therapy (using amplification devices and/or sound generators) for tinnitus. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2018;12:CD013094. cochranelibrary.com
- Jastreboff PJ. Phantom auditory perception (tinnitus): mechanisms of generation and perception. Neuroscience Research. 1990;8(4):221–254. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Crönlein T, Langguth B, Pregler M, Kreuzer PM, Wetter TC, Schecklmann M. Insomnia in patients with chronic tinnitus: cognitive and emotional distress as moderator variables. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2016;83:65–68. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Baguley D, McFerran D, Hall D. Tinnitus. The Lancet. 2013;382(9904):1600–1607. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov