Review date: April 7, 2020

This app provides the perfect blend of ambient noise, which helps me stay focused and sane while working from home.

Apple App Store Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)*
Created by: Gabriel Brady
Available on: Desktop (at https://asoftmurmur.com), iOS, and Android
Price: Free (But Offers In-App Purchases)

Screenshot of https://asoftmurmur.com

Image source: https://asoftmurmur.com

Overview

Official description: “Find the perfect mix of background noise to help you relax, study, work or sleep. A Soft Murmur is the ideal productivity app to help you wash away distractions.”

I am lucky to have a job that allows me to work from home regularly a few times a week (i.e., before COVID-19 and shelter-in-place orders). The biggest plus is that I don’t have to spend time and money commuting the 30 miles or so downtown. (At heart, I’m a city gal, but due to various reasons, I currently live in a Washington, D.C. exurb). Overall, I’ve found that I really enjoy the 50/50 mix of working from home and going into the office. But, there are some days where my home office or living room gets a little too quiet, and I seek the refuge of working from a coworking space or coffee shop. (As an “extroverted-introvert”, I love being around people, but not necessarily having to interact with them). In particular, I find that the coffee shop’s ambient/background noise helps me focus.

But in our current situation, of course, all the coffee shops or coworking spaces are closed. So I’ve found the next best thing — making my home office sound and smell like a coffee shop! (If you haven’t figured out already, I’m a bonafide coffee addict and coffee snob, and kind of obsessed with local/non-Starbucks coffee shops).

My Review

On A Soft Murmur, you can create your own custom mix of sounds. I particularly like the “Coffee Shop” and “White Noise” options for when I’m working. Also using A Soft Murmur helps provide a small layer of privacy through my thin walls, as it helps muffle conference calls. The app itself is very easy-to-use and straightforward. On an iPhone, a nice plus is that it saves the sounds locally.

A Soft Murmur’s Privacy Score

The terms of service screens are long and difficult to read; often, we just click “OK” and hope for the best. Unfortunately, these days, that’s not the wisest choice. Luckily, the experts at PrivacyGrade.org have done the work for us by analyzing and assigning each app a “privacy grade.”

PrivacyScore Screenshot

Image source: PrivacyScore.org

PrivacyGrade.org gave A Soft Murmur an “A” rating.

Check out A Soft Murmur on their website or in your device’s app store.


*At the time of writing.

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