Where to find the notification sound settings in Snapchat

Open Snapchat and tap your profile icon in the top-left corner. From there, tap the gear icon to enter Settings. Scroll down until you see "Notifications" — this is where all your sound options live. The exact position varies slightly between iPhone and Android, but the Notifications section appears in the same Settings menu on both.

Once you're in Notifications, you'll see several categories: Messages, Calls, Stories, and Spotlight. Each one has its own sound setting. Tap whichever category you want to change — for instance, if you only want to change the sound for direct messages, tap "Messages" first.

Key Takeaways

  • Notification sounds are controlled individually by message type — you can have one sound for messages, a different one for calls, and silence for stories.
  • iPhone and Android both use the same menu path: Profile icon → Settings → Notifications, then choose your category.
  • Snapchat pulls from your phone's system sounds, so the options you see depend on what sounds your device has installed.
  • Turning off a notification sound does not turn off the notification itself — you'll still see the badge and visual alert.

Changing the sound for messages and calls

Tap "Messages" in the Notifications menu. You'll see a toggle for "Notifications" itself — leave this on if you want to keep seeing message alerts. Below that is "Notification Sound." Tap it to open a list of available sounds. Your phone's default notification sounds appear here, along with any custom sounds you've added to your device.

Select the sound you want. Snapchat will play a preview so you can hear it before confirming. The same process works for "Calls" — go back to the main Notifications menu, tap "Calls," and choose a different sound if you want incoming Snapchat calls to sound distinct from messages.

Silencing notifications for stories and spotlight

If you want to turn off sound for Stories or Spotlight entirely, tap that category in Notifications and toggle "Notification Sound" to off. This silences the audio alert but keeps the visual notification — you'll still see a badge on the Snapchat icon and a notification in your notification center, just without the sound.

Many people silence Stories and Spotlight because they update constantly and the repeated sounds become distracting. Messages and Calls usually stay on because they're direct communication from people you know.

Using Do Not Disturb to override all Snapchat sounds

If you want Snapchat silent during certain hours without changing individual sounds, use your phone's built-in Do Not Disturb feature instead. On iPhone, swipe down from the top-right corner and tap the crescent moon icon. On Android, swipe down twice from the top and tap "Do Not Disturb." Set your quiet hours, and Snapchat will respect those settings even if you've chosen loud notification sounds.

You can also allow calls or messages from specific contacts to break through Do Not Disturb. This way, close friends can still reach you with sound, while everything else stays silent.

Why you might not see all the sounds you expect

Snapchat uses your phone's system sounds, not its own library. If you're looking for a specific sound and don't see it, it may not be installed on your device. iPhone users can add custom sounds through Settings → Sounds & Haptics, though the process requires downloading files and using a computer. Android users can add sounds by placing audio files in the Notifications folder on their device's storage.

If you've recently updated Snapchat or your phone's operating system, the available sounds may have changed. Restarting Snapchat or your phone sometimes refreshes the list.

Turning off vibration separately from sound

In the same Notifications menu where you choose sounds, you'll see a "Vibration" toggle. You can turn vibration on or off independently of the sound — so you could have a message sound but no vibration, or vibration but no sound. This is useful if you want to feel alerts in your pocket without disturbing people around you, or if you want sound but find vibration annoying.

The vibration setting applies to whichever notification category you're in, so you can have vibration for Messages but not for Stories, for example.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing the notification sound affect other apps?

No. Each app controls its own notification sounds. Changing Snapchat's sound won't affect notifications from text messages, email, or any other app on your phone. If you want those to sound different, you change them in each app's settings separately.

Can I use a song as my Snapchat notification sound?

On iPhone, you can add custom sounds through Settings, but the process is technical and requires a computer. On Android, you can place audio files in your device's Notifications folder, though not all file types work. Snapchat itself only offers the sounds already on your phone.

What happens if I turn off the notification sound but leave notifications on?

You'll still get the alert — the badge on your Snapchat icon will appear, and you'll see a notification in your notification center. You just won't hear a sound. The visual alert still works.

Why did my notification sound change after I updated Snapchat?

Updates sometimes reset notification settings to defaults. Go back to Settings → Notifications and choose your preferred sound again. This usually only happens on major version updates.

Can I set different sounds for different friends?

Snapchat doesn't have per-contact notification sounds like text messaging does. All messages use the same sound, all calls use the same sound, and so on. Your only option is to silence entire categories or use Do Not Disturb for specific times.