Can I separately adjust the ringtone and notification sound volume?

What are ringtones and notification sounds?

Ringtones and notification sounds are customizable audio alerts that play when certain events occur on your smartphone (1). Ringtones specifically refer to the sounds that play when you receive an incoming call. Notification sounds are used for other alerts, like new text messages, app notifications, calendar events, and more.

The main purpose of ringtones and notification sounds is to notify you audibly of incoming communications or important events. By assigning unique sounds to different contacts or apps, you can identify the source of the alert without having to look at your phone screen. The tones help grab your attention even when the phone is in your pocket or bag (1).

Modern smartphones come with default ringtones and notification sounds pre-loaded. However, most devices allow you to customize these audio clips and select from a wide variety of tones, sound effects, music clips, and other audio files. This allows you to personalize your mobile experience.

(1) https://utilitiesone.com/from-ringtones-to-sonifications-acoustic-engineering-in-mobile-device-design

Default volume settings

By default, most smartphones use the same volume level for both ringtones and notifications. When you adjust the volume using the buttons on the side of the phone, it changes the volume for ringtones, notifications, media, and everything else all together. There is typically just one master volume control.

For example, on an iPhone, adjusting the volume buttons changes the volume for ringtones, alerts, sound effects, and audio/video playback all at once. The same volume level is used for incoming calls and text messages by default [1].

On Android phones, the volume buttons adjust the “media volume” which applies to music, videos, games, and other media. But this also sets the volume for ringtones and notifications too. There is no separate default volume for alerts vs ringtones [2].

Adjusting the volumes separately

Many smartphones now allow you to customize your ringtones and notification sounds by adjusting the volumes independently. This gives you more control over your audio experience.

On Android devices running Android 9.0 or later:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Sound & vibration (or Sound).
3. Tap Volume.
4. Drag the sliders for Ring volume and Notification volume to adjust them separately.

On iPhones running iOS 14 or later:

1. Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics.
2. Under Ringer and Alerts, drag the slider for Change with Buttons to turn it on.
3. Press the Volume Up/Down buttons on the side of your iPhone to adjust the ringer and notification volumes separately.

This allows you to turn down notifications so they don’t interrupt you, while keeping your ringtone loud to hear incoming calls. Or make your ringtone quieter while keeping notifications audible. Customize based on your preferences and needs!

Benefits of customizing volumes

Customizing the volumes for ringtones and notifications separately allows for more control over phone alerts. You can tailor the volumes to suit different environments and situations. For example, you may want a loud ringtone when outdoors, but a softer notification volume when in a meeting. Separate controls let you turn down ringtones so they don’t disrupt others while keeping notification volumes audible.

Setting custom volumes also avoids having disruptive ringtones in quiet settings. You can lower the ringtone volume so it doesn’t distract people around you or interfere with activities like watching a movie, without missing important notifications. Tailoring volumes gives you flexibility to adapt your phone’s sounds to your current circumstances.

Potential Downsides

While customizing notification and ringtone volumes separately provides flexibility, there are some potential downsides to be aware of:

One risk is missing important alerts if the notification volume is set too low. For example, if you have a very quiet notification sound, you may not hear urgent messages, app alerts, or calendar events. It’s important to find the right balance so you don’t miss key information.

Another issue is that it can be hard to hear ringtones in noisy environments if the ringtone volume isn’t loud enough. If you’re in a crowded area and get an incoming call, a quiet ringtone may be drowned out by background noise. Making sure to set the ringtone volume high enough is key.

Overall, the separate volume controls give you discretion, but require thoughtfulness in setting appropriate levels. Testing the settings in different real-world situations can help avoid missing important alerts.

Best practices

When setting custom ringtone and notification volumes, keep these best practices in mind:

Set volumes high enough to hear alerts. It’s important to ensure you don’t miss calls or notifications by keeping volumes too low. Test ringtones and notification sounds at their set volumes in noisy environments like a street or cafe to ensure you’ll still be able to hear them.

Test ringtones and notifications in different environments. The volume needed to hear an alert properly can vary greatly depending on your surroundings and activity. Try your configured volumes while at home, outside, at the gym, in a moving vehicle, etc. Adjust as needed until you’re confident you’ll be able to hear and identify sounds in diverse settings.

Turn off sounds at appropriate times. While you’ll want your phone loud enough to grab your attention, make sure to mute or enable do not disturb modes during meetings, movies, and other times where notifications would be disruptive or unwanted.

Set a bedtime schedule to limit disturbances. Use your phone’s do not disturb scheduling to automatically silence alerts during regular sleeping hours. This allows important calls to still reach you while avoiding unnecessary disruptions.

Automation options

There are a few built-in ways to automatically adjust your ringtone and notification volumes on Android devices:

Using do not disturb modes: You can set your device to automatically switch to vibrate or mute sounds when Do Not Disturb mode is enabled. This is useful for muting notifications at night or during events. To enable it, go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Do not disturb.

Location-based volume adjustment: You can create location-based rules to change volumes when you enter or exit certain locations, like work or home. Apps like Tasker and Automate allow this automation.

Time-based schedules: You can set ringtone and notification volumes to change automatically based on the time of day. For example, mute notifications at night. This can be configured in the Sound settings or through automation apps.

Accessibility considerations

When setting separate ringtone and notification volumes, it’s important to ensure the sounds work for those with hearing impairments. The Android accessibility settings allow you to amplify sounds, enable mono audio, and reduce audio frequency.

According to Google’s support article, you can customize Sound Notifications in Accessibility settings to “choose sounds to detect when notifications, alerts or ringtones play” (source). This allows those with hearing impairments to detect important sounds.

Certain Android phones like Samsung Galaxy models also offer hearing aid compatibility. The hearing aid mode optimizes the frequency response for hearing aids (source). Check your phone settings to see if this feature is available.

Overall, the separate volume controls allow users to adjust ringtone and notification volumes to their specific needs. Taking advantage of the accessibility settings and hearing aid options can help those with hearing impairments detect sounds customized to their hearing range.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you are experiencing issues with ringtones or notification sounds not working properly, there are some troubleshooting steps you can try:

First, try resetting the volume levels back to default. Go to Settings > Sound and reset both the ringtone and notification volumes. This will override any customizations and allow you to start fresh.

Next, double check the notification and ringtone settings for both your operating system and any problematic apps. Make sure nothing has been muted or set to vibrate only.

You can also try using the hardware volume buttons on your device to raise or lower the volumes. Test if the buttons are properly controlling the ringtone and notification volumes.

Finally, on Android you may need to clear cache/data for apps that are having sound issues or uninstall/reinstall them. As a last resort, backup your device and do a factory reset which will eliminate any software bugs.

If none of these steps resolve notification or ringtone problems, it could point to a hardware issue that may require repair or replacement of the device.

Summary

As we’ve seen, most smartphones allow you to separately adjust the ringtone and notification sound volumes. This gives you granular control to customize your audio experience. By turning down the ringtone volume, you can avoid disruptive ringtones while still receiving softer notification sounds. Or you may prefer the opposite settings – lowering notification volume to minimize distractions, while keeping ringtones loud so you never miss an important call.

The ability to independently set these volumes is beneficial for personalizing your device to best suit your needs and preferences. Take advantage of this to optimize your notifications and ringtones in a way that works for you. Just be aware of your surroundings and avoid blaring volumes that could disturb others. With some thoughtful adjustment, you can strike the right balance for your situation.