Binaural beats are a kind of sound wave therapy that its advocates say can help you sleep, improve your mood, make you more creative, and much more. If that sounds like something you could benefit from, you can try it out on your smartphone today.

But with so many apps to choose from, what is the best binaural beats app for Android? Let's take a look.

What Are Binaural Beats?

The idea behind binaural beats is that you play two tones with slightly different frequencies into each ear (through headphones, ideally), and your brain perceives it as a single sound. Depending on the frequencies used, it's said that this can change your mental state.

Does it work? The research is inconclusive, but the science world is certainly taking binaural beats seriously. There are studies into their effect on everything, from depression to dental anxiety. And there are many users who swear by them.

The suggested benefits are in line with those you'll get from a white noise generator or one of the best meditation apps. If you wish you could sleep better or stay more focused, why not give one of these binaural beats apps a download to see if it works for you?

1. Atmosphere

Atmosphere is one of the most attractively designed sound therapy apps. It combines a load of different ideas into a single tool, making it the perfect binaural app for beginners.

You get the binaural beats, of course, covering 18 categories. Among them are frequencies for anxiety and depression, to help you sleep, or even relieve a headache.

On top of that, there are white, brown, and pink noise options, along with a huge number of relaxing background sounds and music. You can mix them together, too, enabling you to create your own unique sound recipe.

Download: Atmosphere (Free, in-app purchases available)

2. Brain Waves

Brain Waves is aimed more at users who want to experiment with what binaural beats can do. At the heart of the app is the ability to mix your own beats. You can choose a precise frequency for the left and right ears, along with a volume level for each, and then save your preset.

There isn't much guidance for what does and doesn't work, so the app offers 10 preset sound combinations to get you started. These cover generic points of emphasis like focus and relaxation, and you can use either a 30 minute timer or enable endless play.

Download: Brain Waves (Free)

3. Binaural Beats Therapy

Binaural Beats Therapy is one of the oldest apps in its class. Its presets are split into seven categories, with 20 sound combos in total. Many have names that promise great benefits, like Euphoria Induction, Lucid Dreams, or Astral Projection.

The basics of sleep, pain relief, and concentration are also covered. And there are some very specific practical beats that make perfect choices for skeptics to try. Who doesn't need an Airplane Travel Aid, after all?

Download: Binaural Beats Therapy (Free, in-app purchases available)

4. myNoise

Easily one of the best binaural beats apps, myNoise is both attractively designed and truly comprehensive. It's an all-purpose noise machine app, so you get white noise, rain, and a fun sci-fi inspired Warp Speed mode as well. All the presets are customizable.

If the built-in choices aren't enough, you've got over a hundred more to choose from. Some are available individually, while others come as part of a bundle. Among them is a tinnitus reliever, which some people will definitely appreciate.

Download: myNoise (Free, in-app purchases available)

5. Binaural Beats Generator

As the name suggests, Binaural Beats Generator is a roll-your-own beats app. It's quite simple to use. You've got three sliders: one for the binaural beat, one for the bass frequency, and one for the volume. There's a little guidance along the way to show the effect your chosen frequency might have.

While the app is limited in some respects---there are no presets and you can't save your own---good sound quality, ease of use, and the fact that it's completely free make it a winner.

Download: Binaural Beats Generator (Free)

6. Brain Waver

Brain Waver comes with 20 presets, although only nine have descriptions. They cover the usual topics such as sleep and relaxation, along with more exciting focuses like out of body experiences. Your mileage may vary on this.

The app has two generator tools. The main one lets you tweak the presets and add background sounds as you listen. The advanced option is for anyone who really gets into the science of binaural beats.

One interesting extra is that you can use the app as a white noise generator by setting the binaural volume to zero and choosing any of the background sounds. If you like this feature, take at our guide to the best white noise machines for a possible upgrade.

Download: Brain Waver (Free)

7. Binaural Beats

One of the best free binaural beats apps is simply called Binaural Beats. Not only is it free with no in-app purchases, there are no ads and it's open source.

It also doesn't compromise on features. There are 19 preset beats for study, sleep, creativity, and so on, plus you can create your own (although you can't save them). Even better, you can import more binaural beats created in the Gnaural desktop program.

The app integrates with your phone well. It'll pause the sounds when you get an incoming call. Or if you prefer, it can automatically put your phone into silent mode so you don't get interrupted.

Download: Binaural Beats (Free)

8. BrainAural

Our final binaural app recommendation is BrainAural. It's free---you can remove the ads through an in-app purchase---and works fully offline. It's a good option if you're on a limited data plan.

The app offers four "sessions" for general use, based on the four main audio frequencies binaural beats use. Along with this, it has a further 14 presets tuned to more specific goals like anti-aging and problem solving.

There's also a generator tool so you can craft your own, with instructions on which frequencies to choose. You can save these for future use.

Download: BrainAural (Free, in-app purchases available)

More Apps to Help You Focus

Pick the best app for binaural beats and you'll have something that can potentially help you sleep better, improve your mood, and become more focused.

If constant distractions are a big problem for you, there are other solutions you can try. Our guide covering the best Android apps to help you focus is a good starting point.