The fastest way to change your iPhone ringtone

Open Settings, tap Sounds & Haptics, then tap Ringtone. You will see a list of built-in ringtones. Tap any one to hear it play, then tap it again to set it as your default. The checkmark moves to show which ringtone is active. That is the complete process — no restart needed.

If you want to use a song from your music library instead of a built-in ringtone, the process is longer and requires a computer or a third-party app. The built-in ringtones are the fastest option and work when ready on all calls.

Key Takeaways

  • Built-in ringtones are changed in Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone, and the change takes effect right away.
  • You can set different ringtones for specific contacts by opening their contact card, tapping Edit, and choosing a custom ringtone under the phone number.
  • Using a song from your music library as a ringtone requires either a computer with iTunes or a third-party app like GarageBand.
  • Silent mode (the physical switch on the side of your iPhone) mutes all ringtones, but alarms will still sound.

Setting a ringtone for one specific contact

If you want only certain people to have a unique ringtone, you can assign one per contact. Open the Contacts app, find the person's name, and tap Edit in the top right corner. Scroll down and tap the phone number field, then tap Ringtone. Choose from the same list of built-in tones, then tap Done twice to save.

This is useful if you want to know who is calling without looking at your phone. For example, you might set your boss's contact to a professional tone and your best friend's to something louder or more playful. The custom ringtone overrides your default ringtone only for that contact.

Using a song from your music library as a ringtone

iPhones do not let you pick any song directly from the Music app and make it a ringtone. Instead, you must create a ringtone file first. On a Mac or Windows computer with iTunes installed, open iTunes, find the song you want, right-click it, and select Get Info. Go to the Options tab, set the start and stop times to create a clip 30 seconds or shorter, and click OK.

Right-click the song again and choose Create AAC Version. A new file appears in your library. Right-click that file, select Show in Finder (Mac) or Show in Windows Explorer (Windows), and change the file extension from .m4a to .m4r. Drag this file into iTunes under Tones, then sync your iPhone. The ringtone will appear in Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone.

If you do not have a computer, use the GarageBand app on your iPhone instead. Open GarageBand, create a new audio project, import your song, trim it to 30 seconds or less, tap Share, and choose Ringtone. The ringtone saves automatically and appears in your ringtone list within seconds.

Why your ringtone is not playing

The most common reason is Silent mode. On the left edge of your iPhone, below the volume buttons, there is a small physical switch. If it is flipped toward the back of the phone, Silent mode is on and your ringtone will not sound — only vibration will alert you. Flip the switch forward to turn Silent mode off and restore sound.

If Silent mode is off and you still hear nothing, check your volume. Press the volume up button on the side of your phone to raise the ringer volume. You can also go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and drag the Ringer and Alerts slider to the right. If the slider is all the way left, your ringer is muted even though Silent mode is off.

A third possibility is that Do Not Disturb is turned on. Swipe down from the top right corner to open Control Center and look for the moon icon. If it is highlighted, tap it to turn Do Not Disturb off. When Do Not Disturb is active, calls and notifications are silenced unless they come from your Favorites or repeated callers.

Ringtone volume versus notification volume

Your iPhone has separate volume controls for ringtones and notifications. The Ringer and Alerts slider in Settings > Sounds & Haptics controls how loud your phone rings when someone calls. The Volume buttons on the side of your phone also adjust ringer volume when you are not in an app.

Notification sounds (text messages, emails, app alerts) use the same volume as your ringer. If you lower the ringer volume, notifications will also be quieter. There is no separate slider to make notifications louder or quieter than ringtones on a standard iPhone.

Restoring the default ringtone

If you have changed your ringtone and want to go back to the original, open Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone and tap Marimba. Marimba is Apple's default ringtone and comes pre-selected on all new iPhones. You can also choose any other built-in tone from the list — there is no penalty for switching.

If you have set a custom ringtone for a specific contact and want to remove it, open Contacts, find the person, tap Edit, scroll to the phone number, tap Ringtone, and select Default at the top of the list. That contact will then use whatever ringtone you have set as your system default.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a ringtone I downloaded from the internet?

Yes, if it is in the correct format. The file must be an .m4r file (iPhone ringtone format). If you have an .m4r file, email it to yourself, open the email on your iPhone, tap the attachment, and choose Save to Files. Then open Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone and the file should appear in your list.

Why does my ringtone sound different on my iPhone than it did on my computer?

Your iPhone's speaker is smaller and plays audio differently than a computer speaker. The same ringtone will sound thinner or quieter on your phone. You can test a ringtone by tapping it in Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone before you set it as your default.

Can I set a different ringtone for FaceTime calls?

No. FaceTime uses the same ringtone as regular phone calls. You cannot assign a separate ringtone to FaceTime only. However, you can set a custom ringtone for a specific contact, and that ringtone will play for both regular calls and FaceTime calls from that person.

What happens to my custom ringtone if I update iOS?

Custom ringtones you created stay on your phone after an iOS update. Built-in ringtones also remain. Your current default ringtone selection is preserved, so you will not be switched back to Marimba or any other tone.