how it works
pick your pace
Anywhere from 40 to 90 beats per minute; it starts at a sleeping 55. Tap the heart to feel a single beat while you tune it.
slide it under the pillow
Under the edge, or between mattress and pillow. Screen down, near where you rest your head.
hold to start, then rest
Hold the heart for a moment and the beat begins. The screen turns true black, and it stays until the timer runs out or you double-tap to end it.
why a heartbeat
the first rhythm
Sleep apps only sell sound. When white noise isn't enough for an empty bed or a racing mind, Lubb turns your iPhone into a soft, physical heartbeat under your pillow: the tactile feeling of falling asleep on someone's chest.
A heartbeat is the first rhythm anyone hears, months before birth, louder than anything else. Some rhythms aren't learned; they're remembered. A body in deep rest beats slow, often in the fifties. Lubb's default sits there on purpose: a slow steady beat reads as someone sound asleep beside you.
In What Happened to You?, Dr. Bruce Perry writes that “the repetition and rhythm of sensory stimulation… brings the body back to a calm state that allows the brain to function most…” A slow, rhythmic heartbeat under the pillow provides exactly that: a repetitive, physical reminder of safety that quietens a racing mind.
Using the iPhone Taptic Engine, Lubb gives your body a quiet, steady rhythm to anchor to: deep, gentle haptics on a true-black screen. It doesn't measure anything, and it doesn't promise anything. Most people fall asleep within ten to twenty minutes. The free tier covers that window every night, so you can find out whether it helps before you decide it's worth anything.
For comfort, not treatment. Lubb isn't a medical device.
experiences
the quiet bed
“My partner travels for weeks at a time. Having this under the pillow makes the empty side of the bed feel a lot less quiet.”
early tester · new york
“When my mind is racing at 2 am, white noise doesn’t work. The slow physical tap gives my thoughts something real to anchor to.”
app store review
“No screen light, no headphone wires to tangle in my sleep, just a slow pulse through the mattress.”
early tester · toronto
what's in it
drift
Sessions begin about 15 beats quicker than your pace and ease down over the first 25 minutes. The beat meets you, then leads you down.on by default
feel & strength
From round and organic to crisp, and as strong as your bedding needs. Every pillow soaks up a different amount, so you tune it to yours. Release the slider and feel one beat.
an optional sound
A low lub-dub through the speaker, in step with the taps, no two beats identical.off by default
zero-tap bedtime
One automation in Shortcuts and Sleep Focus starts the night by itself when you get into bed. Or ask Siri to start Lubb, or hold the app icon.
built for all night
A true-black screen, a wall-clock timer that survives interruptions, and a gentle fade over the final ten minutes of a timed session, so it softens out rather than stopping mid-beat.
pricing
the whole night
Ten minutes free, every night. No account, no credit card, no sign-up. If ten minutes is all you need to drift off, Lubb is completely free. Keeping the beat beside you until morning is what Plus is for.
yearly · 7 nights free
$9.99 / year
Seven nights free, then $9.99 a year. Cancel any time during the trial and you won't be charged.
lifetime
$29.99 once
$29.99 once, yours forever. One purchase, no subscription.
Plus unlocks 30-minute wind-downs, 2-hour deep starts, and all-night sessions. Drift and the gentle fade come with every session, free ones included.
There is no monthly plan.
privacy
nights are private
No accounts. Nothing to sign up for, nothing to log in to.
Analytics are anonymous: enough to know which features get used, never who used them. And Lubb never measures your heartbeat. It plays a rhythm; it doesn't read yours. Nothing about your night leaves your phone.
questions
Does the phone vibrate?
Yes. Lubb uses the iPhone's Taptic Engine, the part that makes the phone vibrate, to play a slow two-part heartbeat: a soft lub, then a softer dub. It's a much gentler, rounder vibration than a notification buzz, and it comes up through the pillow rather than against your hand.
Is Lubb a white noise app?
No. White noise and sleep sound apps play audio. Lubb plays a slow heartbeat you feel: the iPhone's Taptic Engine sends a soft lub-dub up through your pillow, which suits people who can't sleep with sound or headphones. A low heartbeat sound is there if you want it, off by default. If you already have a white noise app you like, keep it: Lubb plays alongside it rather than stopping it.
How is Lubb different from heartbeat videos on YouTube?
A video plays a heartbeat you hear. Lubb plays one you feel: the iPhone's Taptic Engine sends a slow lub-dub up through your pillow, so nothing has to fill the room or sit in your ears. Lubb has no ads, so nothing breaks in at 2 am. By default the beat starts a little quicker and eases down to a resting pace as you settle, and a timed session fades out rather than cutting off.
How is Lubb different from a heartbeat plush or pillow?
A heartbeat plush is something to hold, and that's a comfort Lubb can't offer. Lubb gives you the beat from the iPhone you already have: slide it under the edge of your pillow and feel a slow two-part heartbeat, with nothing new to buy. You set the pace anywhere from 40 to 90 beats per minute, tune the strength to your bedding, and ten minutes a night are free.
Does it need an account?
No. There's no account, no sign-up, no email and no tracking. Nothing about your night leaves the phone.
Does it work through any pillow?
Most, not all. A thin down pillow passes the beat almost fully; thick memory foam soaks up a lot of it. That's why strength and feel are adjustable. Start strong and tune it down until it's just there.
Will it drain my battery?
A full night of haptics uses real power, even with the screen at near-black. Start the night charged. And never charge under a pillow, because a charging phone builds heat inside bedding. Lubb says so once during setup, and warns you if it notices charging mid-session.
Why does the screen stay on?
iPhone haptics only play while the app is open, so Lubb keeps the phone awake. The screen staying on is the beat still going. The display turns true black, which costs almost nothing on an OLED iPhone.
Can I use it with Sleep Focus?
Yes, and it's the best way to run it. Set one automation in Shortcuts: when Sleep turns on, run Lubb's Start Heartbeat action immediately. Getting into bed then starts the night by itself. Siri and the Home Screen quick action work too.
Is there a trial?
The yearly plan starts with 7 nights free. The free tier isn't a trial at all. It's ten free minutes every night, for as long as you want it.
How much does Lubb cost?
Ten minutes a night is free, with no account and no card. Lubb Plus unlocks 30-minute, 2-hour and all-night sessions: $9.99 a year after 7 nights free, or $29.99 once. There is no monthly plan.
Does it work on Android, iPad or Apple Watch?
Not yet. Lubb plays the beat through the iPhone's Taptic Engine, so it needs an iPhone running iOS 18 or later. It can't run on Android phones, iPad, Mac or Apple Watch.
Is this a baby or fetal heartbeat app?
No. Lubb is for adults who sleep better with someone beside them. It plays a slow resting heartbeat you feel through your pillow. It doesn't listen to, record or monitor anyone's heart, and it isn't a doppler.
Is this a sleep tracker?
No. Lubb doesn't record, measure, or score anything: not your heartbeat, not your sleep. It's one rhythm beside you, and it's for comfort rather than treatment.