Synopsis of the App: Portal provides 3D soundscapes and ambience to encourage productivity, sleep and relaxation.
Price and Platform: Free + premium. Apple only.
RDN Score: 5/5
Pro
Pleasant to use with a beautiful and engaging design.
Includes immersive ambience experiences from around the globe. Take a break in the mountains of Nepal, finish a writing project with the Redwood National Park as a backdrop or fall asleep to the sounds of a thunderstorm in the Amazon.
FOCUS: Set a task to stay focused using the default 25-minute timer common to the Pomodoro principle.
SLEEP: Fall asleep to your favorite sounds or set an alarm to wake up. Personalize the volume and duration for a slow and non-jolting awakening. Set up wakeup lighting for a gentle and natural awakening time.
ESCAPE: Use Portal’s guided breathing exercises, deep relaxation and box breathing activities to wind down, calm stress and anxiety, or as a warmup for meditation. Each breathing exercise includes a timer and clear directions to perform them, as well as safety warnings such as stopping if you feel lightheaded.
Mix Portal’s audio with other apps to add ambience to other music, podcasts, audiobooks and guided meditations.
Customize the app with night dock, screen locking, clock appearance, adding to Siri and selecting push notifications.
Connect with smart lights to set up and change a room’s physical ambience.
Upgrade for $3.99 to get all premium soundscapes.
Cons
Only available on iOS at the time of this review.
Bottom Line: With a pair of headphones, this app can temporarily transport you to a new audio reality. Portal is ideal for anyone needing a little break, boost to productivity or help falling asleep.
Marisa Moore, MBA, RDN, LD, is based in Atlanta and specializes in culinary nutrition, communications and consulting. She blogs at marisamoore.com. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
Synopsis of the App: Portal provides 3D soundscapes and ambience to encourage productivity, sleep and relaxation.
