Your iPhone is hiding a game-changing feature to help you sleep which you’ve probably never used

New features are always being added with system updates for the iPhone, with some new additions recently being announced for iOS 18.

There are some exciting new features including an upgrade for Siri to become the ultimate pocket-sized AI, completing tasks like moving a file between photos, editing a photo or opening a news site on Apple News.

Other announcements include call recording and home screen customization, where users can move widgets around freely.

This feature could help if you struggle to sleep at night (Justin Paget/Getty)

But there are lots of features already available for you to use that you might not even know about.

In fact, there’s a free built-in feature to the device that some people spend over $125 for.

If you find yourself struggling to sleep at night without being disturbed by interruptions then this could be a game-changer for you.

Many people find it difficult to drift off to sleep in complete silence - while you might think it should help, it often does the opposite.

White noise is usually the answer to this problem, and the soft sound of a fan whirring in the background certainly helps to nod off on a summer’s night.

But if you’re looking for a year-round solution, many choose to invest in a proper white noise machine.

Devices that run on iOS 15 or later all have this feature (Serene Lee/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

This can set you back from anywhere between $25 all the way to $125, but did you know such a device is actually built into your iPhone already?

Apple devices that run on iOS 15 or later all have a white noise feature built-in, as long as you are also running with an iPhone 6s or later and your software is all up-to-date.

So, how do we enable this secret feature? Well, the feature doesn't come under the label 'white noise', but is instead called 'background sounds'.

All you need to do is simply head to settings, followed by accessibility, then audio/visual, and then you'll find the background sounds option.

The free feature is built-in to the iPhone (Westend61/Getty)

Once that option has been toggled, you'll be greeted with some rather relaxing waterfall and nature sounds to help you fall asleep.

The variety of sounds you can choose from is pretty varied, including sounds of rain, stream, ocean, balanced noise, bright noise and dark noise.

These sounds can also be adjusted in volume to ensure the experience is right for you.

So, if you’re lucky enough to live in a silent house with quiet neighbors, this may be the answer to your sleep problems. Happy snoozing!