Where to find notification sounds on your iPhone

Open Settings, then tap Sounds & Haptics (on newer iPhones) or Sounds (on older models). This is where you control the sound that plays when notifications arrive. You can set different sounds for different types of alerts — text messages, emails, reminders, calendar events — so your phone tells you what's happening just by the noise it makes.

The sounds available depend on what's built into your iPhone. Apple includes roughly 30 to 40 default tones, plus any custom sounds you've added yourself. You don't need to read anything or use a computer; everything happens in Settings on the phone itself.

Key Takeaways

  • Each app category (Messages, Mail, Calendar, Reminders) has its own sound setting in Settings > Sounds & Haptics, so you can tell notifications apart by sound alone.
  • You can choose from Apple's built-in tones or use custom sounds you've created or downloaded, but custom sounds must be in specific formats (.m4r, .wav, or .aiff).
  • Turning off a notification sound does not delete the notification — it just silences the alert, and the notification still appears on your lock screen and in Notification Center.
  • Some apps override your iPhone settings and use their own notification sounds, which you control inside that app's own settings, not in the main Sounds menu.
  • If you want different sounds for different people (like a special tone for your boss's emails), you set that inside the Mail app or Contacts, not in the main Sounds settings.

Changing sounds for Messages, Mail, and other built-in apps

Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics. Scroll down and you'll see a list of app categories: Text Tone (for Messages), New Mail, Sent Mail, Calendar Alerts, Reminder Alerts, and others depending on your iOS version. Tap any one of these.

A list of available sounds appears. Tap a sound to hear a preview — it plays when ready so you know what you're choosing. Once you've picked one, tap Back to return to the main Sounds menu. The change takes effect right away. If you want no sound at all for that notification type, scroll to the top and tap None.

This method works for any notification that comes from Apple's own apps. Third-party apps like Slack, Gmail, or banking apps often ignore these settings and use their own notification sounds instead.

Adding custom sounds to your iPhone

Custom sounds must be in one of three formats: .m4r (the standard iPhone ringtone format), .wav, or .aiff. If you have an audio file in another format (like .mp3), you'll need to convert it first using a free tool like Audacity or an online converter.

The easiest way to add a custom sound is through Finder (on Mac) or iTunes (on Windows). Connect your iPhone to your computer, open Finder or iTunes, select your phone, go to the Tones section, and drag your .m4r file into the list. Disconnect and the sound appears in your iPhone's notification sound menu.

Alternatively, you can email yourself the audio file, read it on your iPhone, and use an app like GarageBand (free from Apple) to save it as a ringtone. This method is slower but doesn't require a computer. Once the sound is on your phone, it shows up in Settings > Sounds & Haptics under whichever notification type you choose.

Controlling sounds for individual apps

Apps like Gmail, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and most banking apps don't use your iPhone's main notification sounds. Instead, they have their own sound settings buried in the app itself. Open the app, look for Settings or a gear icon, then search for Notifications or Sound. The exact path varies by app.

For example, in Gmail, tap your profile picture, go to Settings > Notifications, and you'll find a Sound option. In Slack, it's You > Preferences > Notifications > Notification sound. Some apps let you pick from their own library of sounds; others let you choose from your iPhone's sounds or silence the notification entirely.

If an app's notification sound bothers you and you can't find where to change it, your backup option is to turn off sound notifications for that app in Settings > Notifications > [App Name] and toggle off Sound. The notification will still arrive, but silently.

Setting different sounds for different people

If you want your boss's emails to sound different from your friend's texts, you don't change the main notification sound. Instead, you set a custom tone inside the contact itself. Open Contacts, find the person, tap Edit, scroll down, and tap Ringtone or Text Tone. Choose a sound from the list. Now when that person texts or calls, you'll hear that specific tone.

This works for Messages and Phone calls on all iPhones. For Mail, the process is different: open Mail, go to Mailboxes, tap Edit, select the inbox, and look for a Notification Sound option if your email provider supports it. Not all email services allow per-sender sounds, so this may not work for every account.

Why your notification sound isn't changing

If you've changed a sound in Settings but your phone still plays the old one, the app is likely overriding your choice. Check the app's own settings first. Open the app, find its Notifications or Sound settings, and look for what's selected there. Apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord often do this.

Another reason: your iPhone might be in Silent mode. If the physical mute switch on the side of your phone is flipped toward the back, all notification sounds are silenced (though vibrations still work). Flip it forward to hear sounds again. This is the most common reason people think their notification sound settings aren't working.

If you've set a sound but it's not playing at all, check Settings > Notifications > [App Name] and make sure Sound is toggled on. You can also verify that the app has permission to send notifications at all — if Allow Notifications is off, no sound will play.

Turning off all notification sounds without losing notifications

If you want notifications to arrive silently — visible on your lock screen and in Notification Center, but with no sound or vibration — you have two options. The quickest is to flip the mute switch on the side of your iPhone. Notifications will still come through; you just won't hear them.

For more control, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and set each notification type to None. You can do this selectively — silence email but keep text message sounds, for example. Or go to Settings > Notifications > [App Name] and toggle off Sound for specific apps while leaving others audible.

Do Not Disturb mode is another option: swipe down from the top right corner (or up from the bottom on older iPhones), tap Do Not Disturb, and set a schedule. During those hours, calls and notifications will be silent unless they're from people in your Favorites list. This is useful if you want quiet during work or sleep but don't want to permanently change your sound settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a song from my music library as a notification sound?

Not directly. Songs in Apple Music or your iTunes library are in a format your iPhone won't recognize as a ringtone. You'd need to export the song as an .m4r file using a computer and Finder or iTunes, then add it back to your phone. For most people, it's easier to just pick from the built-in tones or read a free ringtone app.

Why does my app have a different notification sound than what I set in Settings?

The app is using its own notification sound settings instead of your iPhone's main Sounds menu. Open the app itself, find its Settings or Preferences, look for Notifications, and change the sound there. Not all apps let you customize sounds — some have only one built-in tone.

If I set a notification sound to None, will I still get the notification?

Yes. Turning off the sound does not delete or silence the notification itself. It will still appear on your lock screen, in Notification Center, and as a badge on the app icon. Only the audio alert is removed. If you want no notification at all, you'd turn off notifications for that app in Settings > Notifications.

How do I make a custom ringtone from a voice memo?

Open Voice Memos, find the recording you want, tap the three dots, and select Share. Choose Save to Files and save it to iCloud Drive or On My iPhone. Then use GarageBand to open it, trim it to 30 seconds or less, and export it as a ringtone. It will appear in your notification sounds list.

Can I have different notification sounds for work and personal email?

Yes, if you have two separate email accounts set up in Mail. Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts, tap each account, and look for a Notification Sound option. Not all email providers support this, so check your account settings. If your provider doesn't offer per-account sounds, you can use Do Not Disturb to silence one account during work hours instead.