Where to find the message sound settings on your iPhone

The message ringtone setting lives in the Sounds & Haptics menu, which you reach through Settings. Open Settings, tap Sounds & Haptics, then scroll down to the section labeled Text Tone. This is where you pick what sound plays when a text arrives. The steps are the same whether you use iMessage, SMS, or both.

If you have multiple messaging apps installed—like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger—each one has its own sound settings buried in that app's preferences, not in the main iPhone settings. This guide covers the built-in Messages app only.

Key Takeaways

  • Message sounds are changed in Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Text Tone, not in the Messages app itself.
  • iPhone comes with about 25 built-in text tones, and you can preview each one before selecting it.
  • You can set different notification sounds for individual contacts by editing their contact card and choosing a custom text tone.
  • If you created a custom ringtone in GarageBand or another app, it will appear in the Text Tone list only if it was saved to your iPhone's Sounds library.
  • Turning off the Text Tone toggle silences message notifications entirely, though your phone will still vibrate if vibration is turned on.

Step-by-step: changing the default message sound for all texts

Start by opening the Settings app on your home screen. Scroll down and tap Sounds & Haptics. You will see several rows of options—look for the one labeled Text Tone, which sits below the Ringtone option.

Tap Text Tone. A list of about 25 built-in sounds will appear, each with a name like Bells, Chime, Chord, or Swoosh. Tap any sound to hear a preview—it will play when ready. Once you find one you like, tap it again to confirm the selection. A checkmark will appear next to your choice, and you will return to the Sounds & Haptics screen. The new sound is now active for all incoming text messages.

The whole process takes less than a minute. If you change your mind later, return to Text Tone and pick a different sound the same way.

Setting a unique message sound for one contact

You can assign a different text tone to a specific person so you know when they message you without looking at your phone. Open the Contacts app, find the person's name, and tap Edit in the top right corner. Scroll down to the section labeled Text Tone and tap it.

The same list of built-in sounds appears. Choose one, and that contact's messages will now play this sound instead of your default. When you are done, tap Done to save the contact. This works for as many contacts as you want—each one can have its own unique sound, or several people can share the same custom tone.

Using a custom ringtone you created yourself

If you made a ringtone in GarageBand or downloaded one from the internet, it must be saved to your iPhone's Sounds library before it will show up in the Text Tone list. The easiest way to do this is through a Mac or Windows computer using iTunes or Finder, or by using a third-party app like Ringtone Maker.

Once the custom sound is saved to your iPhone, it will appear at the top of the Text Tone list in Settings. Tap it to select it as your message sound. If you do not see your custom ringtone in the list, the file was not saved correctly—check the app or computer program you used to create it and try again.

Turning message sounds off completely

If you want to silence text notifications but keep other sounds active, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and look for the toggle next to Text Tone. Flip it off, and your iPhone will no longer play a sound when messages arrive. The toggle is gray when off and green when on.

Turning off the Text Tone toggle does not affect vibration—your phone will still buzz if vibration is turned on. To turn off vibration as well, scroll up in the Sounds & Haptics menu and toggle off Vibration. You can also control vibration separately for different notification types.

Common reasons your new message sound is not working

The most common cause is that your iPhone is in Silent mode. Look at the physical switch on the left side of your phone—if it is pushed toward the back, Silent mode is on and no sounds will play. Push the switch forward to turn Silent mode off and restore all notification sounds.

The second most common cause is that Do Not Disturb is turned on. Check Control Center by swiping down from the top right corner of your screen. If you see a moon icon, Do Not Disturb is active. Tap the moon to turn it off. You can also check Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb to see if it is scheduled to turn on at certain times.

If neither of those is the problem, restart your iPhone by holding down the power button and volume button together until the power-off slider appears. Slide it to power off, wait 10 seconds, then hold the power button again until the Apple logo appears. Restart often fixes sound issues that have no obvious cause.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a song from my music library as a message ringtone?

Not directly through Settings. Songs in your Music app cannot be selected as text tones. You would need to use a third-party app like Ringtone Maker or GarageBand to extract a short clip from the song, save it as a ringtone file, and then add it to your iPhone's Sounds library. After that, it will appear in your Text Tone list.

Why do I see different sounds available on my iPhone than my friend's iPhone?

The list of built-in sounds varies slightly depending on your iPhone model and iOS version. Newer iPhones and newer iOS versions sometimes include additional sounds. If you want to match your friend's setup, you can create a custom ringtone and share the file with them, or they can describe the sound and you can find the closest match in your own list.

If I set a custom text tone for a contact, will they know about it?

No. The custom text tone is stored only on your phone and affects only what you hear. The contact has no way of knowing you assigned them a special sound. This is purely a personal notification preference on your device.

Does changing the message ringtone affect FaceTime call notifications?

No. FaceTime calls use a separate ringtone setting. To change what sound plays when someone FaceTime calls you, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and look for the Ringtone option at the top of the menu. That controls phone calls and FaceTime calls, while Text Tone controls only text messages.

What happens to my custom text tone if I update iOS?

Custom ringtones you created or downloaded usually survive an iOS update, but it is not may provide. If you have a ringtone you really like, keep a backup copy on your computer or in cloud storage so you can restore it if needed.