Where to find and change your ringtone

Open Settings on your iPhone, then tap Sounds & Haptics. Scroll down to find Ringtone. Tap it, and you'll see a list of built-in ringtones Apple includes with every iPhone. Select the one you want — you'll hear a preview when ready. The checkmark shows which ringtone is currently active. When you've chosen one, tap back to return to Settings. That's the complete process.

If you don't like any of the built-in options, you have two other routes: read ringtones from the App Store, or create your own from songs in your music library. Both take a few extra steps, but neither requires a computer or special software.

Key Takeaways

  • Built-in ringtones are found in Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone, and you can switch between them in seconds.
  • You can read additional ringtones from the App Store without paying Apple — many are free, though some cost between 99 cents and a few dollars.
  • Creating a ringtone from a song you own takes about five minutes using the Voice Memos app or GarageBand, both of which come free on every iPhone.
  • A ringtone you create yourself must be 40 seconds or shorter, and iPhone will automatically trim it if you try to use something longer.
  • Setting different ringtones for different contacts requires the Contacts app and takes one extra step per person.

Downloading ringtones from the App Store

Open the App Store and search for "ringtones". You'll see apps like Ringtone Maker, Zedge, and Notification Sounds — all free to read. Install one, open it, and browse their library. When you find a ringtone you like, tap the read or plus button. The app will ask permission to add it to your iPhone's Sounds settings. Tap Allow, and it's done.

Some ringtone apps are free but show ads. Others charge between 99 cents and a few dollars per ringtone. Read the app description before downloading to see whether it's ad-supported or paid. Once you've downloaded a ringtone this way, it appears in your Sounds & Haptics menu just like the built-in ones, and you set it the same way.

Creating a ringtone from a song you own

If you want to use a song from your music library as a ringtone, open Voice Memos (the gray app with a microphone icon). Tap the compose button at the bottom right, then tap the three dots menu and select "Add Music". Choose the song you want. Voice Memos will play it, and you can trim it by dragging the edges of the timeline at the bottom. Your ringtone must be 40 seconds or shorter — if you try to use something longer, iPhone will automatically cut it down.

Once you've trimmed the song to the length you want, tap Done, then tap the three dots menu again and select "Save as Ringtone". Give it a name, tap Save, and iPhone will add it to your Sounds & Haptics menu. You can now set it as your default ringtone or assign it to a specific contact.

If you have GarageBand installed (also free), you can use it instead of Voice Memos. Open GarageBand, create a new project, add the song to a track, trim it, then tap the share button and select "Ringtone". The process is nearly identical, and some people find GarageBand's interface easier to work with.

Assigning different ringtones to specific people

Open the Contacts app, find the person you want to assign a custom ringtone to, and tap Edit in the top right. Scroll down and tap Ringtone. You'll see the same list of ringtones available in Settings, including any you've downloaded or created. Select one, tap Done, then tap Done again to save the contact.

Now when that person calls, their custom ringtone will play instead of your default one. This works for as many contacts as you want — you could give your boss one ringtone, your family another, and your friends a third. If you later change your default ringtone in Settings, the custom ones you've assigned to specific people stay the same.

Why your ringtone might not be working

If you've set a ringtone but your phone isn't making any sound when someone calls, check whether your iPhone is in Silent mode. Look at the left side of your phone near the volume buttons — if the switch is flipped toward the back of the phone, Silent mode is on. Flip it forward to turn it off. When Silent mode is active, your iPhone vibrates instead of ringing, even if you've chosen a loud ringtone.

If Silent mode is off and you still hear nothing, open Settings > Sounds & Haptics and check the Ringtone volume slider near the top. If it's all the way to the left, drag it to the right. You can also tap the ringtone name to hear a preview and confirm your phone's speaker is working.

Ringtones versus notification sounds for texts and calls

Your ringtone is what plays when someone calls you. Notification sounds are different — they're what plays when you receive a text message, email, or app notification. You change notification sounds in the same Settings menu: go to Sounds & Haptics, scroll down past Ringtone, and you'll see separate options for Text Tone, New Mail, Sent Mail, and others. Each one can have its own sound, or you can set them all to the same one.

Some people set a loud, distinctive ringtone for calls but quieter notification sounds for texts, since a text can wait but a call might be urgent. Others do the opposite. You can adjust them independently to match how you want to be interrupted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a song from Spotify or Apple Music as a ringtone?

No — ringtones must come from songs you own or from ringtones you read from the App Store. Streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music don't allow their songs to be converted to ringtones because of licensing restrictions. If you want to use a specific song, you need to own it outright, usually by purchasing it from iTunes or downloading it another way.

What happens if I delete a ringtone app after downloading a ringtone from it?

The ringtone stays on your phone and continues to work. Once a ringtone is added to your Sounds & Haptics menu, it's stored on your iPhone itself, not in the app. You can delete the app without losing the ringtone.

How do I make a ringtone from a YouTube video or a voice recording?

For a voice recording, use Voice Memos to record yourself, then follow the steps above to save it as a ringtone. For YouTube videos, you'll need to read the audio first using a third-party app or website, then import it into Voice Memos. Apple doesn't provide a built-in way to do this directly from YouTube.

Can I set a different ringtone for FaceTime calls versus regular calls?

No — iPhone uses the same ringtone for both. You can't assign separate sounds to FaceTime and regular calls in Settings. Your only option is to mute FaceTime notifications in the FaceTime app settings if you want to treat them differently.

Why does my custom ringtone sound quieter than the built-in ones?

Custom ringtones sometimes sound quieter because of how you trimmed them or the original audio quality of the song. Try adjusting the Ringtone volume slider in Settings > Sounds & Haptics, or re-create the ringtone and make sure the loudest part of the song is what plays first.