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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
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The verdict on

Rain Rain Sleep Sounds

75
User verdict / 100 High confidence Loved, with caveats

Rain Rain Sleep Sounds is highly effective for improving sleep and relaxation due to its wide variety of customizable sounds, but recent issues with battery drain, automatic startup, and a shift towards more paid content are frustrating long-time users.

⚠ Not updated in 18 months, this app may be abandoned
4.8★ lifetime (135,881) Free to download since 2011 by Tim Gostony recent negative 6% 100 reviews across 2 regions
Sleep Aid Sound Quality & Variety Monetization & Value Technical Issues
5★86
4★2
3★6
2★2
1★4
recent reviews across 2 regions, vs the 4.8★ lifetime average

Rain Rain Sleep Sounds is a popular app offering a diverse library of natural sounds to aid sleep, relaxation, and focus. Users praise its effectiveness, sound quality, and the ability to mix sounds, but recent updates have introduced issues like battery drain and unwanted automatic playback, alongside a shift towards a subscription model for previously free or one-time purchase content.

What users like

  • Highly effective for improving sleep and relaxation, even for those with insomnia or anxiety.R3R8R12R25
  • Offers a wide variety of high-quality, natural-sounding audio, including rain, thunder, and other white noise.R6R13R22R30
  • Allows users to mix multiple sounds and customize volumes, with features like a sleep timer and fade-out.R6R30R33R48
  • Helps block out disruptive external noises, such as noisy neighbors, hotel sounds, or snoring.R4R14R70R76
  • Beneficial for individuals with tinnitus, providing relief and aiding sleep.R61R63R72
  • The free version offers substantial functionality and a good selection of sounds without aggressive ads.R20R33R34R39

What users complain about

  • The app significantly drains battery life, sometimes overnight.R1
  • Automatically starts playing through Bluetooth in cars, even after being closed.R10R18
  • Many sounds that were previously free or part of a one-time purchase are now behind a subscription paywall.R5R9R15R18
  • Some users report the app stopping playback when the phone is locked or the app is minimized.R58
  • The sleep timer may automatically shut off sounds after a short duration, even if set for longer.R18R100
  • The app can freeze or crash for some users.R49

Latest update · v6.9.10

What the developer says changed (the verdict above weighs this against what reviewers report):

Rain Rain 6.9.10 adds an optional Dark Mode icon and fixes a few small bugs introduced in 6.9.9, including a fix for the missing icon on the Lock Screen widget. Sorry about that! Let me know if you have any suggestions or need any help at [email protected]. Rain Rain 7 is in the works, and is looking like it will be our biggest update yet! If you would like to join the Rain Rain Test Team and test out the next version of Rain Rain, visit RainRainApp.com/beta to sign up.

Recurring themes

Sleep Aid positive
The app is widely praised for its effectiveness in helping users fall asleep quickly and stay asleep, even those with insomnia, anxiety, or noisy environments. Many users consider it essential for their nightly routine.R3R4R6R8
Sound Quality & Variety positive
Reviewers consistently praise the high quality, natural sound effects, and the extensive variety of sounds available. The ability to mix and layer different sounds is a highly valued feature.R6R13R22R30
Monetization & Value negative
There's significant frustration over the app's monetization strategy. Many long-time users feel deceived as sounds previously free or part of a one-time purchase are now locked behind a subscription. Some express a preference for a one-time 'buy all sounds' option over subscriptions. However, many still appreciate the robust free offering.R5R9R15R18
Technical Issues negative
Recent reviews highlight several technical problems, including significant battery drain, automatic activation via Bluetooth in cars, and the app stopping playback when the phone is locked or minimized. Some users also report freezing or crashing and issues with the sleep timer. The developer's notes mention 'bug fixes' but these specific issues persist in recent feedback.R1R10R18R49

Who it's for

This app is for anyone struggling with sleep, anxiety, or needing to block out distracting noises for relaxation or focus R3R12R61. It's particularly useful for travelers in noisy hotel rooms R4R70 or those with tinnitus R61R63R72. It is not for users who prefer a completely free experience with all features unlocked, or those who are sensitive to apps that drain battery or automatically connect to Bluetooth devices R1R10R18.

Evidence note: The recent reviews skew negative regarding technical issues and monetization, which contrasts with the high lifetime rating. The positive aspects are well-supported by a large number of recent 5-star reviews that praise the core functionality, while the negative points are consistently raised by users experiencing specific problems.

Frequently asked

Is Rain Rain Sleep Sounds free?
Rain Rain Sleep Sounds is free to download and offers a substantial selection of free sounds and features, but many premium sounds and advanced options are locked behind a subscription or require in-app purchases R9R33.
Does Rain Rain Sleep Sounds drain battery?
Yes, some recent users report that Rain Rain Sleep Sounds can significantly drain battery life, with one user noting their phone went from 75% to dead overnight R1.
Can you mix sounds in Rain Rain Sleep Sounds?
Yes, Rain Rain Sleep Sounds allows users to mix different sounds together and save them as favorites, with independent volume controls for each sound R6R30R33R48.
Does Rain Rain Sleep Sounds work offline?
Reviews indicate the app works even with the phone turned off or when switching to other apps, suggesting core functionality is available offline once sounds are downloaded R20R47.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 100 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R3] 5/5 · US Excellent: It truly does help me sleep well having insomnia. The app is definitely keeper!
  2. [R8] 5/5 · US Amazing: IT WAS AMAZING FOR MY SLEEPING
  3. [R12] 5/5 · US Amazing rain rain: I love that l can sleep better because of rain rain it is amazing that an rain sound app that can help me sleep get rit of my anxiety my stress and bad situations thank you rain rain
  4. [R25] 5/5 · US The solution: Omg this is THE freaking solution y’all! This gives you so many options about noise, and makes me fall asleep ASAP!! This is a real solution and I absolutely love it. Five Stars. Flawless. My dad introduced me to this, and I’m thankful for that cause now I can fall asleep better and faster. Thanks to rain rain, I’m not so stressed anymore and I feel way less Stressed and anxious:) Th
  5. [R6] 5/5 · US Great set of sounds: I’ve used Rain Rain for years on about four different phones. I love that you can mix different sounds together and save them as favorites. I really depend on this app to sleep through the night more consistently.
  6. [R13] 5/5 · US The greatest sounding sleeping app: So nice and calm many options to choose from and yeah 5 stars
  7. [R22] 5/5 · US Love the rain: This app helps me sleep when I am traveling. The rain effects sound natural and do not contain annoying patterns or short repetitive clips like some others.
  8. [R30] 5/5 · US Amazing app, brought me so much peace: This is truly one of those apps that sometimes u just have to sit back and thank god it exists. When your mind is racing and theres nothing else to drown out the noise? open that rain rain baby. You can mix your own custom sounds (that sound pretty good quality) depending on what u like. if you want to hear rain and heavy thunder or rain and light thunder, u
  9. [R33] 5/5 · US Top notch app with great free options: It’s so nice to see an app with a premium feature that still has a fantastic free product. I enjoy the free previews of premium sounds that change daily, but there are SO many good free sounds too. I love how you can mix the sounds together and even oscillate the different sounds independently of each other. The sleep timer is another thoughtful feature. It f
  10. [R48] 5/5 · US love: i’ve been using this app for a very long time, i think it’s been at least a few years now. it’s really great and does what it needs to do and then some! i love the soften and timer features a lot, as well as being able to combine sounds. always helps me go to sleep every night
  11. [R4] 5/5 · US Great App to Relax and/or sleep!: Love this App! Especially for noisy hotel rooms when sleeping.
  12. [R14] 5/5 · US Needed sleep: Great app helps to fall asleep even with noisy environments.
  13. [R70] 5/5 · GB Drowned out background noise: Just used the app as I stayed in a hotel backing on to a railway station. Kept it running during the night as the station announcements would have kept me awake. Slept until 6 when the heating came on and banged. Very pleased to have managed to get some sleep.
  14. [R76] 5/5 · GB Amazing: I have extremely noises neighbours and this app drowned out their noise and I was able to take a nice nap. I would recommend to anyone who struggles getting to sleep because of noise/ insomnia like me.
  15. [R61] 5/5 · GB Tinnitus Relief: Love this app!! I suffer with tinnitus and for months had no way of getting real sleep until I stumbled onto this app. The ability to mix and match a bunch of white noise and other sounds is great (laundromat and campfire work best for me). I play this app almost 24/7 and it is a godsend.
  16. [R63] 5/5 · GB Tinnitus - audiologist recommended listening to waves: I have used Forest Rain for years to get to sleep. It gets me to sleep so quickly. I got tinnitus a few months ago so I have a continuous whiny sound like gas escaping. It never stops and by the evening I feel exhausted. I suddenly realised listening to rain was helping so I now play it during the day. When my audiologist suggested I listen
  17. [R72] 5/5 · GB Thank you: I wish I didn’t have to use this because tinnitus has taken over my life, but due to an incompetent NHS idiot that inflicted the condition on me, I now use this app and am grateful to the developer, and this app does sometimes help me and I would recommend to other sufferers if you’re looking for an occasional fix from the horrors of tinnitus, especially at night.
  18. [R20] 5/5 · US BEST SLEEPING APP: I don’t even have to explain myself just get the app. you can do more then one sound, you can turn off ur phone and it still works. u can go to different apps like tiktok and youtube and it still works. all of this for FREEE. I LOVE THIS APP
  19. [R34] 5/5 · US Great free app with no ads: Use it every night
  20. [R39] 5/5 · US The BEST: By far the best FREE rain app on the App Store.
  21. [R1] 2/5 · US Suddenly killing battery overnight: I’ve had rain rain for around 10 years and use it to go to sleep. It’s been perfect up until six months to a year ago. All of a sudden, I’ll go from 3/4 of a battery to it dying in the middle of the night. I don’t know if it’s the iOS update or if some code changed in the app but I’ve been looking for a new app unfortunately because of this issue and I really d
  22. [R10] 3/5 · US Glitch in the app: Honestly I LOVE this app. It really helps me to sleep. HOWEVER, it is #%*^# irritating that is activates on my bluetooth every time I get in my car in the morning, even thougj I have X’d put of it on my phone from the night before. Really annoying.
  23. [R18] 2/5 · US Buggy: I’ve had this app for many years. It used to be free, then they had “premium sound” that I paid for and then they went to a monthly pay system. How many times do I have to pay for the same thing? Also it starts up automatically every. Single. Time I start my car. WTH? Why? Why? No matter what I do I can’t stop this. Also it shuts off automatically after 10 minutes now. I set the alarm and
  24. [R5] 1/5 · US No support since 2022: I bought prior to 2019 (turns out is relevant) but bought all sounds permanently. They stopped honoring and will not return my correspondence. If there are any app devs you should clone this
  25. [R9] 3/5 · US Love it: I like it but I have to pay for a lot of stuff
  26. [R15] 1/5 · US Not free- deceptive advertising: I download it because I wanted for one night in a hotel but it’s not free
  27. [R58] 1/5 · GB Terrible!!!!!!!: The app worked ok at the start but now if I lock my phone or go off the app it stops altogether and it’s extremely annoying
  28. [R100] 4/5 · GB Timer: I love this app and I use it every night to help drift off to sleep. The only tiny bugbear I have is that the timer starts as soon as I start a sound, and I have to turn it off as I sometimes just want the sound on indefinitely. Otherwise a great app
  29. [R49] 3/5 · US Ok: Nice sounds, but the app freezes not sure why, but I uninstalled it
  30. [R47] 5/5 · US Amazing app!!: This app is amazing and I love it!! Love when I’m able to turn off my phone instead of having to worry to keep it on!!! Keep up the great work!

Synthesized from 100 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store