How do I change the sound when I send a text on Android?

Android provides a high level of customization options for text messaging apps like Google Messages. One of the key customizations available is the ability to change the default sound played when receiving a new text message. With over 1 billion monthly active users on Google Messages, many Android users are looking to personalize the app and make it their own.

Changing up the standard new message notification can help you identify who is texting without having to look at your phone. Setting custom text tones for different contacts is a popular way to customize Android text messaging. There are also options to use your own audio files or purchase custom ringtones to assign to contacts.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the steps to change the default new message sound on Android as well as set custom text tones for individual contacts. With Google Messages’ focus on personalization to compete with iMessage, it’s now easier than ever to customize your text messaging experience.

Why Change the Default Text Message Sound?

There are several benefits to customizing the default text message sound on your Android device:

Personalization – Setting a custom sound allows you to choose an alert that fits your personality or preferences. It’s a simple way to make your device feel more like your own.

Accessibility – Individualized sounds can help users who are vision-impaired identify who is contacting them without having to look at the screen. Unique sounds are easier to distinguish than default options.

Alerts – Distinct notification sounds can alert you to particularly important messages so you don’t miss them. For example, you could set special sounds for messages from family members.

As the article on Optimum Mobile explains, “Make it easier to hear who’s calling by setting up customized ringtones and message alerts on your mobile phone. From sounds through volume, you can personalize your mobile phone to suit your needs and tastes.”

Locate the Default Message Sound

To change the default notification sound for text messages on an Android device, you first need to locate the sound settings in your device. Here are the basic steps:

Open your device’s Settings app. On most Android devices, you can access Settings from the app drawer or home screen. You can also pull down the notification shade and tap the settings icon.

Next, locate the Sound or Notifications section in Settings. On many devices this will be under “Sound & vibration,” “Sound,” or “Notifications.” Tap into this section.

Look for a setting along the lines of “Default notification sound” or “Default text tone.” Tap this setting to open up the available sounds list.

If you don’t see a specific setting for text or notification sounds, tap into the “App notifications” or “Advanced” sections to find more detailed sound controls. You may need to tap on “Messages” or “Messaging” app and change sounds from there.

For more details, refer to Verizon’s step-by-step guide on finding the default text tone settings.

Choose a New Sound from the Options

Android includes a variety of built-in sound options you can choose from for your text message notifications. To select a new default sound:

Open the Settings app and go to Sound & vibration.
Tap on Default notification sound.
You will see a list of the available notification sounds included on your device. Tap on any sound to preview it.

Once you’ve found a sound you like, tap on it to set it as the new default.

The sound options may include things like piano notes, bird chirps, doorbells, and more. You can scroll through and tap on each one to sample it.

According to Google’s support page, you can also long-press on a sound option to hear an extended preview of the tone.

This allows you to easily choose a new default sound for your text notifications directly from Android’s built-in options. Switch it up from time to time for a refresh!

Use Custom Ringtones and Sounds

One of the best things about Android is the ability to use any MP3 file as a custom text tone. To do this:

Download or locate an MP3 file you want to use as a text tone. This can be a song clip, sound effect, or anything else.

Connect your Android phone to your computer via USB and locate the ringtone folder, which is usually in internal storage/media/audio/notifications.
Copy the MP3 file into the notifications folder.
On your phone, go to Settings > Sounds > Default notification sound and select your new MP3 file.

You can now set this MP3 file as the default text tone or assign it to specific contacts. Android supports common audio formats like MP3, AAC, WAV, OGG, and FLAC for custom notification sounds up to 1-2 MB in size. So feel free to get creative with custom tones!

(Source: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/put-custom-text-tones-android-78536.html)

Set Custom Sounds for Contacts

You can assign unique notification sounds to individual contacts on your Android device. This allows you to identify who is messaging you without having to look at your phone.

To set custom sounds for contacts:

Open your Contacts app and select the contact you want to assign a custom sound for.
Tap “Edit contact” and scroll down to the Ringtone section.

Tap the default ringtone listed to bring up your options.
You can now choose an existing sound or select “Add ringtone” to pick a custom sound file saved on your device.
Tap “OK” to confirm the selected sound for that contact.

Now whenever you receive a text from that person, your phone will play the unique ringtone you assigned. You can repeat these steps for other frequent contacts so you always know who is messaging you without having to look.

Consider Notification Sounds Too

In addition to sounds for incoming text messages, you can also customize notification sounds on your Android phone. Notifications cover sounds for app alerts, calendar events, email, and more. Whereas customizing your text message sound applies only to new incoming SMS/MMS messages, notification sounds allow you to set different alerts for other apps and system events.

To change notification sounds, go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Default notification sound. Here you’ll find built-in options to choose from. You can also add custom sounds for notifications similar to how you add custom sounds for incoming messages.

Setting unique notification sounds for different apps can help you identify alerts without having to look at your phone. For example, you may want an upbeat sound for social media apps but something more subtle for work email. Take advantage of the options to set notification sounds that fit your preferences.

Use Apps to Customize Further

If the built-in sounds and customization options in Android aren’t enough, you can find many apps on the Google Play Store to take your notification customization even further. One of the most popular is Zedge, which offers a huge library of ringtones, notification sounds, alarm sounds, and more. You can browse or search through thousands of options, preview sounds, and download them right to your device.

Zedge also makes it easy to set any of their sounds for various notification types like texts, emails, calls, alarms and more. There are lots of unique, high-quality options to really make your notifications pop. Other apps like Notification Sounds or Ringtone Maker also offer good customization features.

With a dedicated sounds app, you can update your notification audio anytime you want a fresh vibe. Mix and match sounds between apps, contacts, and notification types for extensive customization.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you follow the steps to change your text notification sound but it doesn’t seem to be working, here are some troubleshooting tips:

Fixes for sound not changing:

Check that the sound you selected is actually saved on your device. The sound needs to be located in your ringtones folder for it to work.
Make sure your phone volume is turned up and not muted.
Go back through the sound selection steps and choose a different sound to see if that works.

Try restarting your device.

Other issues:

If your custom sound plays but is very soft, check your system volume levels and phone speaker.

For contacts-specific custom sounds, make sure you associated the sound with the right contact.
If no text notification sounds play at all, check Do Not Disturb settings and make sure text message notifications are enabled.
On some devices, sounds won’t work in vibrate only mode. Switch to a sound mode.

With some troubleshooting and double-checking your settings, you should be able to get your desired text notification sound working properly.

Key Takeaways

When you want to change the default sound for text message notifications on Android, there are a few easy ways to customize it:

Go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Default notification sound to pick a new default sound for all text messages.

Set custom text tones for individual contacts under their contact details.
Use ringtones or other audio files stored on your phone as custom notification sounds.
Download apps like Zedge to get access to thousands of free notification sounds.

Make sure to check the notification sounds under App notifications in Settings if the text message sound won’t change.

Customizing your notification sounds allows you to personalize your phone and assign unique sounds to important contacts. With all the options available, you can find the perfect text tone to suit your style and preferences.