How do I set a call recording as my ringtone?

A ringtone is the sound your phone makes when receiving an incoming call or notification. Most phones come with default ringtones, but you can customize them to set any audio file as your ringtone, such as a call recording.

There are a few key reasons why you may want to set a call recording as your unique ringtone:

To easily identify incoming calls from specific contacts, like setting a loved one’s voice to their ringtone.

To personalize your phone’s sound and create ringtones that reflect your personality.
To make your phone ringtone more entertaining or meaningful.

Setting a call recording as your ringtone involves a few main steps:

First, record a call on your phone.
Transfer the call recording file from your phone to your computer.
Convert the recording to a supported audio format like MP3.

Trim the MP3 file if needed.
Add the MP3 file back to your phone’s internal storage or SD card.
Finally, select the MP3 as your new ringtone in your phone’s settings.

This guide will walk through this process in detail to help you customize your ringtone.

Check if Your Phone Supports Custom Ringtones

Not all phones allow you to set custom ringtones from recordings. The ability to use custom ringtones depends on your phone’s operating system.

iOS – iPhones allow custom ringtones since iOS 5 or later (source). You’ll need iTunes on a computer to convert the file.

Android – Most Android phones support custom ringtones, but some older models may not (source). You can set ringtones directly on the device.

Windows Phone – Custom ringtones were supported on Windows Phone 8 and later models. The platform is now discontinued.

BlackBerry – BlackBerry 10 and later supports custom ringtones. Transfer files from a computer to add ringtones.

Record a Call

To record a phone call on an iPhone, open the Phone app and tap on the desired phone number to initiate a call. Once on the call, tap the “Add Call” button and then tap the “Merge Calls” button. This will activate a 3-way call with your iPhone also being one of the callers. Next, tap on the “Record” icon on the bottom to start recording the call. The recording will automatically end when you hang up the call.

On Android phones, you can use built-in call recording features or third party apps to record calls. To use native call recording on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, open the Phone app and dial the number. Tap on the More options menu and select “Record call.” Start the recording before the recipient answers. To stop, open the notification panel and tap “Stop recording.”

Apps like Google Voice also allow call recording on Android. Just make sure you inform the other party that the call is being recorded. On Google Pixel phones, enable call recording in Settings under Sound & vibration > Call audio > Record calls. The recordings will be accessible in Phone’s Recents tab.

Transfer the Recording to Your Computer

Once you have recorded a call on your Android phone, the next step is to get the audio file from your phone to your computer. There are a couple ways to do this:

Connect your Android phone to your computer with a USB cable. Make sure you have Android File Transfer installed on your computer. Open the File Transfer app and you’ll be able to browse the files on your Android phone. Find the call recording and copy it to your computer.

Alternatively, you can use a cloud storage service like Google Drive to transfer the call recording. Open the Google Drive app on your Android phone, upload the call recording file to Drive. Then on your computer, log in to Google Drive in your web browser, find the file, and download it.

The key is to get the call recording file off your phone and onto your computer so that you can convert it to an audio format supported for ringtones and edit it as needed in the next steps.

Convert the Recording to a Supported Audio Format

The most commonly supported audio formats for ringtones are:

MP3 – The most popular and compatible format for Android. Can be played on iPhones as well. ¹

M4R – The standard iPhone ringtone format. Can only be used for iPhones.
AAC – A high quality and compressed format supported by most Android and iOS devices.
WAV – An uncompressed format that works on many phones but results in large file sizes.

To convert your call recording to one of these formats, you’ll need audio editing software like Audacity or Adobe Audition. Open the original recording file in your audio editor. Then export or convert it to your preferred format like MP3 or M4R. Make sure to select the optimal settings for ringtones such as a sample rate of 44.1 kHz and a bit rate of 128 kbps for MP3.

The conversion process will create a new audio file in the supported format that you can then transfer to your phone and set as a ringtone.

Trim the Recording

It’s important to trim your audio recording down to 30 seconds or less when setting it as a ringtone. iOS and Android have file size limits for ringtones, and longer files may not work properly as a ringtone.

Here are the steps for trimming your audio file on Windows and Mac:

On Windows:

Open the audio file in Audio Trimmer or a similar free online audio cutting tool.

Use the timeline markers to select the portion you want to keep. Make sure it’s 30 seconds or less.
Click the “Trim” or “Cut” button to trim the audio down.
Download the trimmed audio file to your computer.

On Mac:

Open the audio file in QuickTime Player.
Select “Trim” from the “Edit” menu.

Set the start and end points to trim the file to 30 secs or less.
Click “Trim” and save the changes to create the trimmed file.

The trimmed audio file is now ready to be added as a ringtone.

Transfer Ringtone File Back to Your Phone

Once you have converted the call recording to a supported audio format like MP3 or WAV, you will need to transfer the file back to your smartphone. There are a few different ways to do this:

Via USB cable – Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable. On Android, you may need to enable USB file transfer mode. On iPhone, the phone should show up in Finder or iTunes. Then locate the audio file on your computer and drag and drop it into the Ringtones folder on your phone. https://mobiletrans.wondershare.com/iphone-transfer/transfer-files-from-android-to-iphone.html

Via cloud storage – Upload the audio file to a cloud storage service like Dropbox or Google Drive. Then on your phone, download the file from the cloud storage app into the Ringtones folder. This allows you to wirelessly transfer the file.

Via email – Email the audio file to yourself. Open the email on your smartphone and download the attached ringtone file. Then move it into the Ringtones folder.

Once the audio file is saved in the Ringtones folder on your device, you will be able to select it as your custom ringtone.

Set the Recording as Your Ringtone

Once you have the ringtone file transferred back to your phone, you can set it as your default ringtone. The process varies slightly depending on your phone platform.

iPhone

On an iPhone, open the Settings app and tap Sounds & Haptics. Scroll down and tap Ringtone. You will see a list of ringtones. Tap the option that says “Add New Ringtone” or has a “+” symbol. This will allow you to select the custom ringtone file you transferred to your iPhone. Select the file and it will be added to your ringtones. You can then tap on it to set it as your default ringtone.

Android

On Android, open the Settings app and tap Sounds & vibration. Tap Phone ringtone. This will show your ringtone options. Tap the 3-dot menu icon in the upper right corner and choose “Add ringtone”. Navigate to where you saved the custom ringtone file and select it. You can then tap on the file in your ringtone list to set it as your phone’s default ringtone.

On some Android phones, you may need to move the ringtone file to a specific folder, like the Ringtones folder, before it will show up as a selectable option.

Once you set the custom ringtone, you will hear it when receiving calls. Enjoy your new personalized ringtone!

Troubleshooting Tips

If you run into issues setting a recording as your custom ringtone, here are some troubleshooting tips:

If your phone doesn’t support setting custom ringtones, you won’t be able to use a recording. Check your phone’s specifications to see if this feature is supported. iPhones running iOS 9 or later support custom ringtones [1].

Make sure the audio file is in a supported format like .m4r (for iPhones). Other phones may require .mp3 or .wav files. Converting to a supported format can fix playback issues [2].

If the file fails to transfer to your phone, try restarting both devices. Check that you have enough storage space on your phone. And confirm the transfer method is working properly, like iTunes sync or file explorer.

When trimming the audio clip, make sure it’s 30 seconds or less. Longer files may not work as ringtones. Use editing software to trim it down before setting it as your ringtone.

If you continue having issues, try resetting all settings on your phone. You can also set a default ringtone first to confirm custom sounds are working.

Conclusion

Setting a call recording as your custom ringtone is a simple process that can be done in just a few steps. By following the process outlined in this guide, you can record a special call or conversation and turn it into a personalized ringtone for your phone. Having a custom ringtone allows you to choose unique sounds that represent you and make your phone stand out. It’s a great way to get creative and add some extra personality to your device.

Beyond just being fun and quirky, having a custom ringtone of a loved one’s voice can also help you identify who is calling more easily. For those with hearing difficulties, custom ringtones can make it easier to know when your phone is ringing. Overall, setting call recordings as ringtones gives you more control and customization over the sounds your phone makes.

With just a few easy steps, you can start personalizing your ringtones today. Take your time finding or recording the perfect audio clip that suits your style. Getting creative with your ringtone is an easy way to express your personality!