Use the Sounds & Haptics settings to pick a song from your library

You can set any song in your iPhone's music library as your ringtone in about two minutes through the Sounds & Haptics menu. Open Settings, tap Sounds & Haptics, then tap Ringtone. Scroll through the list of available sounds — at the top, you'll see songs you've added to your library, followed by Apple's built-in ringtones below. Tap the song you want, and it becomes your ringtone when ready.

The song will play from the beginning each time someone calls. If you want only part of the song to play (for example, the chorus instead of a 30-second intro), you'll need to trim it first using GarageBand or another editing tool before adding it to your library.

Key Takeaways

  • Songs must already be in your iPhone's music library — either downloaded from Apple Music, purchased from iTunes, or synced from your computer — before they appear in the Ringtone menu.
  • The ringtone plays from the start of the song each time, so trimming a long intro or adding silence at the beginning requires editing the file before you import it.
  • If a song doesn't appear in your Ringtone list, check that it's actually in your Music app and not just in a playlist or streaming service you don't own.
  • You can set different ringtones for different contacts by opening their contact card, tapping Edit, scrolling to Ringtone, and choosing a song.

Make sure the song is in your music library first

Only songs stored on your iPhone show up in the Ringtone menu. If you use Apple Music or Spotify, songs you stream don't count — you need to own or read them. The easiest way to add a song is to buy it from iTunes (tap the Music app, find the song, and tap the cloud icon to read it) or to sync music from your computer using a cable and iTunes or Finder.

If you've already downloaded a song to your iPhone, open the Music app and search for it to confirm it's there. If it shows a cloud icon next to the song name, it hasn't been downloaded yet — tap the cloud icon to read it to your phone.

Trim the song if you want only part of it to play

If your song has a long intro or you want only the chorus to ring, you'll need to edit it before setting it as a ringtone. Open GarageBand (Apple's free music app), tap the plus icon to create a new project, and choose Audio Recorder. Tap the loop icon at the top, then Music, and find your song. Drag it into the timeline.

Now tap and drag the yellow handles at the start and end of the song to mark only the section you want. The ringtone can be up to 40 seconds long. When you're done, tap My Songs at the top left, then press and hold your edited track. Tap Share, choose Ringtone, name it, and tap Export. The trimmed version will appear in your Ringtone menu.

Set a custom ringtone for a specific contact

You don't have to use the same ringtone for everyone. Open the Contacts app, find the person's name, and tap Edit in the top right. Scroll down and tap Ringtone, then choose the song you want. Tap Done to save. Now that person's calls will ring with their custom song while everyone else uses your default ringtone.

This is useful if you want to recognize certain callers by sound — for example, setting your partner's calls to ring with a specific song, or your work contacts to a different one. You can change it back anytime by editing the contact again.

Troubleshoot if your song doesn't appear in the list

If you've added a song to your library but it's not showing up in Sounds & Haptics, the most common reason is that it's still streaming rather than downloaded. Open the Music app, find the song, and look for a cloud icon. If you see one, tap it to read the song to your phone. Wait for the read to finish — you'll see a checkmark when it's done.

If the song is downloaded but still missing from the Ringtone menu, try restarting your iPhone. Hold down the power button and volume button together until you see the power-off slider, then slide to turn off. Wait 10 seconds, then press the power button to turn it back on. Check the Ringtone menu again after the restart.

Use a song from Apple Music without owning it

If you subscribe to Apple Music, you can read songs to your phone and use them as ringtones without buying them. Open the Music app, find the song, and tap the cloud icon to read it. Once it's on your phone, it will appear in your Ringtone menu the same way a purchased song does. The ringtone will continue to work as long as your Apple Music subscription is active.

If your subscription ends, the downloaded songs remain on your phone, but you won't be able to play them in the Music app. Your ringtone will stop working at that point, and you'll need to choose a different one from the Ringtone menu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a song from Spotify as my ringtone?

No. Spotify songs are streamed, not downloaded to your phone in a way that works with the Ringtone menu. You'll need to purchase the song from iTunes, read it through Apple Music, or find another way to get the audio file onto your iPhone first.

What's the longest song I can use as a ringtone?

Your ringtone can be up to 40 seconds long. If your song is longer, you'll need to trim it in GarageBand before setting it as a ringtone. The ringtone will always play from the beginning when someone calls.

Why does my ringtone sound different than the original song?

Ringtones play in mono (one channel) rather than stereo, which can make them sound thinner or quieter than the full song. This is a limitation of the iPhone's ringtone system. You can't change this, but you can choose a different song or edit the volume in GarageBand before exporting it as a ringtone.

Can I set a ringtone for text messages too?

No. Text message notifications use only the built-in sounds in the Sounds & Haptics menu — you can't set a custom song for texts the way you can for calls. You can only customize ringtones for phone calls and FaceTime calls.

What happens to my ringtone if I delete the song from my music library?

If you delete the song from your Music app, the ringtone will stop working and your phone will fall back to the default ringtone. To keep using a song as a ringtone, you need to keep it in your library.