How do I change the unlock sound on my Samsung?

Samsung devices come with default sounds that play for notifications, screen locking, charging, and other system events. The most common sound that users want to customize is the unlock sound – the brief tone that plays whenever you wake your phone or unlock the screen.

The default Samsung unlock sound is a short, high-pitched beep. While some may appreciate the audio confirmation, others find it annoying or unnecessary after hearing it hundreds of times per day. Luckily, Samsung makes it easy to change the standard unlock sound to something new or disable it entirely.

You have several options for customizing the unlock sound on your Samsung device. You can switch to another built-in sound, assign your favorite song or audio clip, download a sound pack from the Google Play store, or use a third-party app to create custom unlock tones. With a few quick settings adjustments, you can make your Samsung truly your own.

Locate Sound Settings

To change the unlock sound on a Samsung device, you first need to access the Sound settings menu. There are slightly different ways to get there depending on the version of Samsung’s software your phone is running.

One UI Layout

On newer Samsung phones running One UI based on Android 9 or above:

Open the Settings app.

Tap “Sounds and vibration.”

Older Samsung Layout

On older Samsung devices running Android 8 or below:

Open the Settings app.

Tap “Sounds.”

This will open the Sound settings menu where you can change ringtones, notification sounds, system sounds, and more. Make sure you locate the setting you want to change for the specific unlock sound.

Change Default Notification Sound

The default notification sound on Samsung Galaxy phones also controls the unlock sound you hear when turning on the screen or unlocking the device. To change the default notification sound:

Open the Settings app on your Samsung Galaxy phone.
Tap on Sounds and Vibration.
Tap on Notification Sound.

Scroll through the list of notification sound options and tap on one to preview it. Options include Default Samsung notification sounds, as well as any custom audio files you may have added.
Once you find a sound you like, tap on it to set it as the new default notification and unlock sound.

Setting a new default notification sound will change the audio clip used for incoming calls, texts, emails, app notifications and the system unlock sound. Samsung provides a variety of built-in notification sound effects to choose from. You can also add your own custom audio files as ringtones or notification sounds on Galaxy phones (cite: https://www.samsung.com/latin_en/support/mobile-devices/how-to-set-a-music-file-as-a-notification-sound-for-apps-on-your-galaxy-phone/). Just keep in mind, the sound you choose as the default notification sound will also be used for the unlock sound.

Use Custom Unlock Sounds

One way to customize your Samsung device’s unlock sound is by adding your own audio files and selecting them to play when unlocking the screen. Here are the steps to use a custom unlock sound:

First, you’ll need to have the audio file you want to use saved on your device. Supported formats include MP3, WAV, and OGG. You can download sound effects online or create your own recording.

Next, move the audio file into the Notification folder on your Samsung. The easiest way is to connect your phone to a computer and simply copy the file over. The Notification folder is located here: Internal Storage > Android > media > notifications.

Once your custom sound effect is in the Notifications folder, go to Settings > Sounds and vibration > System sounds and vibration. Tap on Lock screen and then Sound. This will open up your audio files to select from.

You should see your custom unlock sound file available here. Tap on it to preview the sound. Then hit OK to set it as the new unlock sound.

Now when you unlock your Samsung, you’ll hear your personalized unlock sound! You can repeat these steps to change it again whenever you like. Just replace the file in the Notifications folder.

For reference, check out this video tutorial showing the process.

Change Lock Screen Sounds

You can customize the sounds that play when locking your Samsung Galaxy device’s screen separately from the unlock sounds.

To change the lock screen sounds, follow these steps:

Open the Settings app on your Samsung device.
Tap on “Sounds and vibration.”
Tap on “Sound quality and effects.”

Tap on “Separate app sound.”
Find “Lock screen” in the list and tap on it.
Tap on the drop down menu and select a new sound effect or tap “Add” to use your own audio file for the lock screen sound.

This will change the sound that plays when you lock the screen, without affecting the unlock sounds. You can set unique sounds for locking or unlocking the device this way.

Some Samsung devices may vary in menus and steps. Refer to your specific model’s user manual if needed.

Disable All Unlock Sounds

If you want to mute or turn off all unlock and lock sounds on your Samsung Galaxy phone for a completely silent experience, you can easily do this through the Settings menu.

Go to Settings > Sounds and vibration > System sounds and vibrations. Here you will see toggles for “Lock screen” and “Charging” sounds. Turn both of these toggles off to disable all unlock and lock sounds.

You can also toggle off other system sounds like “Keyboard sounds”, “Touch sounds”, and “Screen lock sounds” on this screen if you want your phone to be completely silent.

According to How to Turn Off Charge and Unlock Sounds on a Samsung Galaxy Phone, this Settings screen is where you can control all the various lock and unlock sounds on your Samsung device.

With all sounds disabled here, your phone will no longer make sounds when locking, unlocking, charging, typing, and more for a calm silent experience.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you are unable to change the unlock sound on your Samsung device, here are some troubleshooting tips:

Make sure your phone is not in Do Not Disturb mode, which mutes all sounds including the unlock sound. Go to Settings > Notifications > Do Not Disturb to check or toggle this off.

Check if you have a notification silencing app installed that is blocking the unlock sounds, like Notification Silent. Try disabling or uninstalling any apps that might be interfering.

Go to Settings > Sounds and vibration > System sounds/vibration and make sure “Screen lock sounds” is toggled on. Toggle it off and back on if needed.

Try updating to the latest OS and app versions, as a software bug could be preventing the unlock sound change. Go to Settings > Software update to update the OS.

If updating does not fix it, you can try rebooting your phone or performing a cache partition wipe, which clears temporary data that could be causing issues like this. Just power off your device and then boot into Recovery mode to wipe the cache partition.

As a last resort, you can back up your data and perform a factory reset on your device, which will erase any problematic settings and data causing the issue.

If none of these basic troubleshooting tips resolve the problem, you may need to contact Samsung support for further assistance.

Third-Party Apps

In addition to the built-in sound customization options on Samsung devices, there are also some reputable third-party apps that provide more advanced customization:

Notification Sound Manager (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.argonremote.notificationsound&hl=en_US&gl=US) – Allows uploading custom sounds, importing audio files, and assigning sounds based on keywords in the notification. Pros are extensive customization options. Cons are potential bugs or glitches since it’s a third-party app.

Personalization Sounds (https://www.makeuseof.com/how-to-customize-notification-sounds-android/) – Provides granular control to customize notification sounds for individual apps. Pros are tailored sounds for each app. Cons are it costs money unlike the built-in features.

Zedge Ringtones & Wallpapers (https://www.makeuseof.com/how-to-customize-notification-sounds-android/) – Offers a library of unique notification sounds to download. Pros are fun selection of sounds. Cons are sounds may not always be optimized for notifications.

Overall, third-party apps provide more customization options compared to the built-in settings on Samsung devices. However, built-in options have the advantage of being simple, stable, and integrated natively with the operating system.

Custom Sounds By Model

The process for changing the unlock sound may vary slightly depending on your specific Samsung device model. Here are some model-specific tips:

Galaxy S Series

On Galaxy S devices running One UI 4.0 or newer like the S22, go to Settings > Sounds and vibration > System sound/vibration control and tap “Screen lock/unlock” to change the unlock sound.¹

Galaxy Note Series

For the Galaxy Note 20 or Note 10, navigate to Settings > Sounds and vibration > System sound and select your desired sound effect for “Screen lock/unlock.”

Older Models

On older Galaxy models running Android 9 or earlier, like the S9 or Note 8, open Settings > Sounds and vibration > Advanced sound settings and choose a custom sound for “Lock screen.”

Some troubleshooting may be required if default sounds don’t apply properly. Third party apps like Zedge can provide more customization options.

Conclusion

Changing the unlock sound on your Samsung device is easy once you know where to look. The main options are to change the default notification sound under Sounds and vibrations in Settings, use a custom sound for your lock screen under Lock screen > Sounds, or disable all sounds under Lock screen > Sounds. You can choose from Samsung’s built-in options or use your own audio files.

There are a few additional ways to customize sounds on your Samsung. For example, you can set custom ringtones and notification sounds for individual contacts under Contacts. You can also download third party apps like Zedge to access a huge library of ringtones, notification sounds, alarm sounds, and more.

Ultimately, with a few taps you can personalize the audio experience on your Samsung device to your liking. Changing the unlock sound is one small but satisfying way to make your device feel more your own.