FAQ

When one ear hears a tone at, say, 200 Hz and the other ear hears 210 Hz, your brain doesn’t hear two separate notes — it perceives a single tone that gently pulses 10 times per second. That 10 Hz pulse is the binaural beat. It isn’t in either sound; your brain creates it when it combines them. The idea is that a steady beat in a given range can nudge your brain toward the matching state, such as 3–4 Hz for deep rest or 10 Hz for relaxed alertness.

For Binaural Presets and Morphing, yes — each ear needs its own tone, and speakers mix them together before they reach you. Isochronic, Chakra and Harmonic Stacks work fine on a speaker. Any comfortable headphones or earbuds will do; they don’t need to be expensive.

They’re the commonly used names for ranges of brainwave activity:

• Delta (about 0.5–4 Hz) — deep, dreamless sleep
• Theta (4–8 Hz) — drowsiness, deep meditation, the edge of sleep
• Alpha (8–13 Hz) — calm, relaxed alertness, eyes-closed rest
• Beta (13–30 Hz) — active thinking, focus, conversation
• Gamma (30 Hz and up) — high-level processing and attention

Each preset in the app is labeled with the band its beat falls in.

The honest answer: the research is mixed. A 2019 meta-analysis of 22 studies found binaural beats had small-to-moderate effects on anxiety, pain perception and some kinds of memory and attention. A 2023 systematic review found the evidence that they truly “entrain” brainwaves is inconsistent. Many people find them a reliable cue to relax, sleep or settle into work — and that ritual has value on its own. We present the app as a meditative and relaxation aid, not a treatment, and the best test is how you feel after 20 minutes.

Most people use a session of 15–30 minutes. For sleep, start a Sleep or Wind Down tone as you get into bed and let it run. The Morphing journeys are built in 10, 20 and 30-minute lengths, then hold at their end point until you stop them.

Quiet. Set the volume just loud enough to hear the tone clearly — you should be able to talk over it. Louder doesn’t make it work better, and long sessions at high volume aren’t good for your hearing.

For most people, yes — it’s simply quiet, steady sound. If you have epilepsy, a seizure disorder or any condition affected by sound, check with your doctor first. Don’t use sleep or deep-relaxation tones while driving or doing anything that needs your full attention.

• Sleep — Delta, 3.5 Hz beat. Deep rest; drift off.
• Relaxation — Theta, 6 Hz beat. Meditative calm.
• Focus — Alpha, 10 Hz beat. Relaxed alertness for reading and work.
• Energy — Beta, 18 Hz beat. Active thinking.
• Insight — Gamma, 40 Hz beat. Peak awareness.
• Gateway — Theta, 4 Hz beat on a low 100 Hz tone. “Mind awake, body asleep.”

All six are free forever.

Gateway is inspired by the “Focus 10” state described in well-known meditation programs: the body fully relaxed while the mind stays awake and aware. It pairs a low 100 Hz carrier with a 4 Hz beat at the Theta/Delta border. Lie down, close your eyes and give it at least 20 minutes.

An isochronic tone is a single tone switched on and off at a steady rate — for example, 10 pulses per second for Focus. Because the pulse is in the sound itself, you don’t need headphones. Our pulses have softened edges so they sound smooth rather than clicky. Presets: Sleep (3 Hz), Relaxation (6 Hz), Calm (8 Hz), Focus (10 Hz), Energy (18 Hz) and Insight (40 Hz).

The Chakra section plays the seven frequencies most commonly paired with the energy centers in modern sound-healing practice, based on the solfeggio scale: Root 396 Hz, Sacral 417 Hz, Solar Plexus 528 Hz, Heart 639 Hz, Throat 741 Hz, Third Eye 852 Hz and Crown 963 Hz. These come from spiritual tradition rather than science, and they make a calm focal point for meditation. They also work with the Tuning Fork tone.

Morphing tones are binaural beats that glide slowly from one brainwave band to another over 10, 20 or 30 minutes, then hold at the end point. Wind Down goes Beta → Delta (14 → 3 Hz), Deep Relax Alpha → Theta (10 → 5 Hz), Focus In Alpha → Beta (8 → 14 Hz) and Wake Up Theta → Beta (6 → 16 Hz). A gradual change is easier to follow than jumping straight to a target. Headphones on.

Pure tones layered at musical ratios into chords and drones: Grounding (octave + fifth on 108 Hz), Open Fifth, Om (the harmonic series on 136.1 Hz), Warm Triad (a major chord), Shimmer (slightly detuned octaves that slowly beat) and Deep Drone (a low, slowly pulsing 64 Hz). They’re a rich backdrop for meditation or yoga and work on speakers.

Manual mode lets you set each ear independently anywhere from 0 to 10,000 Hz, with a live readout of the beat you’re creating. Switch the tone from a pure sine to Tuning Fork — a struck, ringing tone that re-strikes every 5 to 60 seconds, your choice. Found a combination you love? Save it to one of three custom preset buttons.

The six Binaural Presets are free forever with no limits. When you install, everything is unlocked for 24 hours. After that, Isochronic, Chakra, Morphing, Harmonic Stacks, the Manual sliders and the Tuning Fork are part of Pro — a one-time $4.44 purchase through Google Play. No subscription, no ads.

Yes. Everyone who unlocked Pro gets every new tone type at no extra cost.

Yes to both. Every tone is generated on your phone, so nothing streams and no data is used, and playback continues with the screen off or while you use other apps.

Binaural Tones is on Android through Google Play right now. Follow us on social to hear when that changes.

No. There’s no account, no analytics, no ads and no tracking in the app. See our privacy policy.

So you can hear exactly what each tone sounds like before you download. The full, seamless sessions — and the parts that take real time, like a 30-minute Morphing journey — live in the app.