Can you set a custom text tone iPhone?

What is a Custom Text Tone?

A custom text tone is a unique sound that plays when you receive a new text message on your iPhone. It differs from the default text tones that come preloaded on iPhones. Default text tones are generic ringing or beeping sounds. With a custom text tone, you can set any brief audio clip as your text alert instead.

Custom text tones allow you to personalize your phone and assign unique sounds to different text message contacts. You can use songs, sound effects, voices, or other audio files for a creative and customizable text tone experience. Setting a custom text tone lets you know who is texting without having to check your phone.

While default ringtones are limited and standard, custom text tones offer endless options for expressing your personality. They turn basic text alerts into notifications that are fun, quirky, or meaningful to you. Custom text tones also help differentiate important messages from general ones.

Why Set a Custom Text Tone?

Setting a custom text tone on your iPhone provides several benefits that can improve your text messaging experience:

Makes texts easier to identify – With a unique text tone assigned to each contact, you’ll be able to identify who is texting you without having to look at your phone. This can be especially helpful in group conversations.

Personalizes your device – Choosing a custom text tone allows you to add your personality and style to your iPhone. It’s a fun way to showcase your tastes.

Fun way to express yourself – Custom text tones give you a chance to get creative and have fun with your messaging. You can pick silly sounds, movie quotes, or inside jokes to set as your custom tones.

According to Benefits of Custom Ringtones, custom tones are “a form of self-expression, allowing individuals to showcase their personality through their choice of ringtone.” So if you want your iPhone to reflect you, custom text tones are the way to go.

How to Create a Custom Text Tone on iPhone

Setting a custom text tone on an iPhone is easy to do in just a few steps. There are some requirements for the audio file you use for your custom text tone:

The file must be in .m4r format. This is an AAC audio file format optimized for iOS.
The file size should be under 30 seconds long.
The file size should be under 300 KB.

To create your custom text tone, first you’ll need to locate or create an audio file that meets these requirements. You can use a song snippet, sound effect, or record your own audio. Once you have your file, follow these steps:

Open iTunes on your computer and plug in your iPhone. Select your iPhone under the playback controls.
In your iTunes library, select Tones under Library in the left sidebar.

Drag and drop your custom audio file into the Tones library.
Right click on the file and select “Convert to AAC” to convert to .m4r format if needed.
In iTunes, click on your iPhone icon and select Tones under Settings in the sidebar.

Sync your iPhone to copy over the custom tone.
On your iPhone, open Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Text Tone.
Scroll down and select your new custom text tone.

And you’re all set! Now when you get text messages, your phone will play your unique tone. You can create different custom tones for contacts by assigning them within your iPhone’s Contacts app.

Choosing the Perfect Text Tone

Selecting the right custom text tone is key to making your iPhone alerts stand out. Here are some tips for picking a memorable sound:

Opt for a tone that is distinct and easily recognizable. Pick something that will grab your attention and not blend into background noise. Shorter tones tend to be more noticeable.

Consider using a sound from a genre you enjoy like a song clip or sound effect from a movie or TV show. Video game tones can also be fun and nostalgic.

Make the tone personal by using a sound bite from a loved one’s voice, a pet’s bark, or a favorite musical instrument. This will make the alert more meaningful.

For a professional tone, stick with simple beeps and chimes. Avoid anything too wacky or distracting in work situations.

You can find unique custom tones from many sources:

– Download an app like New Text Tones which offers 100+ options across genres.

– Convert audio files from your computer into iPhone ringtones using iTunes.

– Purchase individual tones or packs on sites like Zedge or MyTinyPhone.

– Record your own using the Voice Memos app on iPhone.

Take your time previewing different sounds to find the perfect text tone for you. It’s a fun way to personalize your iPhone!

Assigning Custom Tones to Contacts

One of the most useful features of custom text tones on iPhone is the ability to assign unique sounds to specific contacts. This makes it easier to identify who is texting you without having to look at your phone.

Here are the steps to assign a custom text tone to a contact on iPhone (source: https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/set-custom-text-tone-contact-ios/):

Open the Contacts app and select the contact you want to assign a custom tone to.

Tap Edit in the upper right corner of the screen.
Under Ringtone, tap Text Tone.
Browse through the available tones and select the one you want to set for that contact.

Tap Done to save the new text tone.

Now when that contact texts you, your phone will play the unique tone you picked so you know it’s them. You can repeat these steps to set custom text tones for other important contacts as well.

Choosing tones that are very distinct from the default text tone makes them easier to recognize. You could use songs, sound effects, or recordings of people saying the contact’s name. Get creative with the custom tones to make each one stand out.

Troubleshooting Custom Text Tones

Sometimes issues can arise when trying to set or hear custom text tones on your iPhone. Here are some troubleshooting tips if your custom tones won’t work properly:

If your custom text tones disappeared or won’t set after an iOS update, check this Apple discussion thread for potential solutions. Some users have reported custom tones not working after updating to iOS 17. Rebooting the device or toggling text tone options on and off can help.

If you can’t see or select custom tones at all, make sure they are actually loaded onto your device. Connect to iTunes on a computer and confirm the tones are synced from your iTunes library. Also check that custom tones are enabled in your Settings app under Sounds & Haptics > Text Tone.

Check that you have enough storage space for custom tones. Each custom text tone file takes up storage, so having too many long audio files can cause issues. Try deleting unused custom tones to free up space.

For contacts not playing the right custom tone, check that each contact has the proper custom tone assigned in Contacts app. The tone needs to be set individually for each contact.

As a last resort, resetting all settings on your iPhone may resolve stubborn custom tone problems. Just be aware this resets all settings, not just ringtone settings.

With some troubleshooting and cleanup, you can get custom text tones working properly again on your iPhone.

Customizing Other Alert Sounds

In addition to customizing your text tone, you can also set custom sounds for other alerts and notifications on your iPhone. Here are some of the other sounds you can customize:

Ringtone – Set a custom song or audio file for your incoming call ringtone. Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone.

Email notifications – Choose a unique sound for new email alerts. Go to Settings > Notifications > Mail > Sounds.
Calendar alerts – Pick a custom chime for calendar event reminders. Go to Settings > Calendar > Default Alert Tone.
Lock screen – Select a sound when locking/unlocking your iPhone. Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Lock Screen.

Keyboard clicks – Change the tap sounds when typing. Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Keyboard Clicks.

Having consistent sounds for your various alerts can help you easily identify notifications at a glance. For example, set your custom text tone and email alert to be similar short dings, while calendar alerts could be a longer chime. Just be sure not to choose sounds that are too similar, or you may get confused.

When selecting custom sounds, pick unique audio files that aren’t already used by Apple’s default alerts. You want your custom sounds to stand out. Check out apps like GarageBand and websites like FreeSound to find creative alert tones.

Best Apps for Custom iPhone Sounds

When it comes to downloading or creating custom ringtones and text tones for iPhone, there are some great apps to choose from. Here are some of the top options:

Ringtones Maker – the ring app is a top choice for creating your own custom iPhone ringtones and text tones. This app makes it easy to trim audio clips, mix and edit sounds, and export tones formatted for iPhone. The interface is user-friendly and the app offers both free and paid versions.

For downloading pre-made text tones, New Text Tones is an excellent free option. It includes over 100 text tones in categories like animals, music, sci-fi, comedy, and more. You can set unique tones for individual contacts.

When choosing a custom tone app, the main considerations are:

Ability to make your own tones vs download pre-made tones
Audio editing tools and customization options

Library size and variety of tones offered
Ease of use and quality of user interface
Pricing for premium features

Free apps provide a basic set of tools and tones, while paid and premium options ($2-5 generally) offer more advanced editing features and diverse tone libraries. Overall, apps like Ringtones Maker and New Text Tones make it fun and easy to give your iPhone custom alert tones.

Funny Text Tones and Effects

Who says text tones have to be boring? Adding a humorous or unique sound effect can make incoming messages more fun and entertaining. There are plenty of apps and websites that offer funny sound effects and text-to-speech voices to spice up your iPhone’s notifications.

For silly voice effects, check out apps like Talking Tom, Talking Ben, and Voice Changer. These apps allow you to record a message and then play it back with altered voices like a chipmunk or robot. The resulting audio files can be saved as custom text tones. As mentioned in the Reddit thread “Anybody have any good iPhone text tones?” [1], you can also find funny sound clips online and convert them to text tones using iTunes.

The app Top Funny Ringtones [2] offers a wide selection of humorous tones, from fart sounds to horror screams. TikTok is another source for funny iPhone text tones, as seen in video compilations like “funny text tones for iphone” [3]. With a little creativity, you can set any sound as your custom text alert for a more amusing notification experience.

Custom Text Tones on Android

Unlike iPhones, the process for setting custom text tones on Android varies depending on the device and OS version. However, most Android phones allow you to set custom SMS and notification tones in just a few steps.

The main way of setting custom tones on Android is through the Sound or Notifications settings. On Samsung devices running Android 8.0 Oreo or higher, you may need to first download and install a Tone Picker app to access custom tones again.

Once in the Sound/Notification settings, you can select a custom tone as the default for notifications. Or for more granular control, you can assign custom tones to individual contacts. This allows you to identify who is texting you without even looking at your phone.

Android supports common audio formats like MP3 and AAC for custom tones. You’ll need to copy the desired audio file into a specific folder on your phone, such as the Ringtones or Notifications folder, depending on the device. Then it will appear as a selectable option. Overall the process is straightforward but varies across manufacturers’ skins over stock Android.