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# Choose sounds and set a sleep timer

You can play a background sound with your futures. You can also decide how Futurecast works with other audio and when listening should stop.

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## Background sound

1. Open the full player.
2. Tap the music note near the bottom right.
3. In **Sound & Timer**, tap **Background Sound**.
4. Tap a sound in **Background Sounds**.
5. Tap **Done**.

Sounds marked **PLUS** need Futurecast+ access. Selecting one can open an upgrade offer.

In the mini player's three-dot menu, the same sound picker is called **Background Music**.

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## Find sounds

Use the tabs in **Background Sounds**:

- **All:** browse the available sounds. Use category buttons to narrow the list.
- **Favorites:** find sounds you marked with a heart.
- **Offline:** find sounds available for offline use.

Tap a sound's heart to add or remove it from Favorites. A heart does not mean the sound has been downloaded.

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## Volume and Off

The slider at the bottom of **Background Sounds** changes the background sound's volume.

Tap **Off** at the top to turn the background sound off. Tap **Done** to close the picker.

Your iPhone's volume buttons control the overall listening volume.

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## Offline sounds

Download an available sound while you have an internet connection:

1. Open **Background Sounds**.
2. Press and hold the sound.
3. Tap **Download for Offline**, if shown.
4. Wait for the download to finish.
5. Check the **Offline** tab before you need it.

To remove a download, press and hold the sound and tap **Remove Download**. This is separate from removing its heart in Favorites.

Some sounds are already included with the app. Their menus may not offer a download action.

If a sound says **Couldn't play. Tap to try again.**, check your connection and tap it again. An undownloaded sound needs a connection.

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## Sleep timer

A sleep timer stops playback after the amount of playing time you choose. It counts voice playback, reflection pauses, and background sound during your session. It waits while all playback is stopped.

1. In the full player, tap the music note.
2. Tap **Sleep Timer**.
3. Choose a duration from the row of time buttons. Swipe across the row for more choices.

The choices run from 15 minutes to 8 hours. **15m** means 15 minutes. **1h** means 1 hour.

To cancel the timer, reopen **Sound & Timer** and tap **Cancel** beside **Sleep Timer**. This removes the timer without asking playback to stop.

From the mini player, open its three-dot menu. Find **Sleep Timer** and tap **Set**, then choose a duration. Use **Cancel** there to remove it.

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## Other audio

**Audio Focus** decides what happens to sound from another app, such as music or a podcast.

1. In the full player, tap the music note.
2. Tap **Audio Focus**.
3. Choose the mode you want.
4. Tap **Done**.

| Mode | What it means |
|---|---|
| **Lower other audio** | Lower the other app's sound while Futurecast plays |
| **Mix with other audio** | Keep the other app's sound alongside Futurecast |
| **Futurecast only** | Let Futurecast take over listening and its playback controls |

Choose **Futurecast only** if you want to control Futurecast from the Lock Screen or your headphones.

You can also change **Audio Focus** in **Profile > Daily Practice**.

Related: [fix audio problems](https://futurecastapp.com/help/practice-audio-help).

[Back to Futurecast Help](https://futurecastapp.com/help)