Change an Android Ringtone
If you're getting tired of your default ringtone, it may be time for a change. Your Android device comes with a variety of pre-installed ringtones that you can select from the Settings app. If you want something a little more personal, you can use a variety of free apps to create a custom ringtone from your own music files. You can also set different ringtones for specific people in your Contacts list.
Contents
Steps
Changing Your Phone's Ringtone
- Open the Settings app on your device. You can select from a variety of pre-installed ringtones. Note that the following instructions will cover most Android devices, though the exact wording may vary from device to device.
- Select "Sound & notification" or "Sound." This will open up your notification options.
- Tap "Ringtone" or "Phone ringtone." This will open a list of all of the available ringtones on your device.
- Tap a ringtone to select and preview it. The ringtone will begin playing when you select it. Browse through the ringtones until you find one that you like.
- If you want to add custom ringtones from your own music library, see the next section.
- Tap "OK" to save your ringtone. Your new ringtone will now be the default ringtone when you receive a call.
Adding a Custom Ringtone
- Download a ringtone maker app. There are a variety of free apps that will allow you to edit your MP3 files and turn them into custom ringtones. You can use these apps to create ringtones without having to use a computer to edit or transfer the file. You will need to have the MP3 file that you want to turn into your ringtone stored on your device.
- The two most popular apps are Ringdroid and Ringtone Maker, but there are literally hundreds of options. Both are available for free from the Google Play Store. This guide will be using Ringtone Maker, but the process will be very similar for other apps.
- You can use these apps to create custom notification sounds as well. The process is the same.
- Get the MP3 file that you want to turn into a ringtone. These apps will allow you to edit an MP3 file and then set it as a ringtone. This is great for finding just the right spot in a song, instead of just using the beginning. In order to edit the MP3 file, it will need to be stored on your Android device. There are several ways you can get the MP3 file to your device:
- You can download the MP3 directly to your device's storage if you have a link to it.
- If the MP3 is on your computer, you can either connect your Android to your computer and transfer it to your Music folder, or you can use a service like Dropbox to upload the file from your computer and download it directly on your device.
- If the MP3 was purchased from Google Play or Amazon, you'll need to download it to your computer first, then transfer it to your Android.
- Launch the ringtone maker app that you just installed. You'll see a list of ringtones and audio files that were detected by Ringtone Maker in the default folders. If your MP3 that you want to use is in one of the default folders (Download, Notifications, Music), it will be listed here. If it's stored in another location, you'll need to browse for it.
- Tap the Menu button (⋮) and select "Browse." This will let you navigate through your phone's folders to find the MP3 you want to use.
- Find the MP3 that you want to turn into a ringtone. Use the folders to find the MP3 you want to use. If you just downloaded the MP3 from a website, check the "Downloads" folder. If you copied the MP3 from your computer, check the location that you copied it to (usually Music or Ringtones).
- Tap the MP3 to open it. The wave form of the song along with playback and editing controls will appear. Don't worry about the edits you perform here; the original file will not be affected.
- Set your Start and End points. When the song loads in the editor, you'll see two sliders in the wave graph. Tap and drag these sliders to set where you want the ringtone to start and where you want it to stop. The length of your ringtone will vary depending on how long your device rings before going to voicemail, but a good length is about 30 seconds.
- Press the Play button at any time to hear the selection you've made. You can make fine adjustments to the start and end times by tapping the "+" and "-" buttons.
- If you're making a notification instead of a ringtone, you'll likely want it a lot shorter.
- Add a fade in and out (optional). Ringtone Maker has a fade function that you can access by tapping the Menu button (⋮). Use the drop-down menus to set how long you want the fade to be.
- Tap the Save button when you're satisfied with your ringtone. This will open the Save As menu.
- Select what you will be using the ringtone for. By default "Ringtone" will be selected, but you can also choose Notification, Alarm, or Music. This will sort the saved file into the correct folder. You can also give the ringtone a different name. By default, it will be named "Song Title Ringtone."
- Decide what you want to do with your new ringtone. After saving the ringtone, Ringtone Maker will prompt you to select what you want to do with it. You can make it your default ringtone immediately, assign it to a specific contact, share it, or do nothing.
- If you choose not to use the ringtone at the moment, you can use either of the other methods in this article to select it. It will be added to your list of installed ringtones for easy selection.
Setting Ringtones for Specific Contacts
- Open your Contacts or People app. You can assign different ringtones to different contacts, which can let you know who's calling before you even pick up the phone. The process varies depending on your phone, but generally the process is fairly similar.
- Tap the contact that you want to change the ringtone for. Some devices may allow you to change the ringtone for groups of contacts as well.
- Tap the "Edit" button. This usually has a pencil icon.
- Find and tap the "Ringtone" option. The location of this varies depending on the device you are using.
- For Samsung devices, you'll find this at the bottom of the contact.
- Stock Android device users can find the "Set ringtone" option by tapping the Menu button (⋮).
- Select the ringtone you want to use. A list of installed ringtones will appear. If you created a custom ringtone in the previous section, it will appear on this list as well.
