Can you change the sound an app notification makes?

App notifications are alerts, messages, or other communications that pop up on your smartphone or tablet to notify you of new information or events. Notifications often make a sound to get your attention when they appear. The sounds that play for notifications come from short audio files called notification tones or alert tones.

Notification sounds serve the important purpose of alerting you to new messages, app updates, calendar events, and other notifications that you may want to address promptly. They allow you to be made aware of notifications even when you’re not actively using your device or looking at the screen. Choosing an appropriate sound can help you identify the type of notification without having to look at your phone.

Default Notification Sounds

The default notification sound on iOS is a brief melody called Rebound, which was introduced in iOS 17 in 2023. Prior to iOS 17, the default iPhone alert tone was Tri-Tone, which had a more vibrant and noticeable three-note melody ^[1]. Many iOS users have complained that Rebound is too quiet and easy to miss compared to the old Tri-Tone alert ^[2].

On Android devices, the default notification sound is dependent on the device manufacturer. For example, Samsung Galaxy phones come with a chime called “Over the Horizon” as the default alert. Google Pixel phones use an ascending synth tone called “Popcorn” for notifications. Most Android devices allow users to easily change the default sound through the Sound & Vibration settings.

Both iOS and Android also allow apps to override the system default and set their own custom notification sounds if desired. However, many apps still rely on the global default tone for incoming notifications.

Why Change the Sound?

There are several good reasons to change your app notification sounds from the default options:

Customization – Having unique notification sounds for each app allows you to easily identify which app is alerting you without having to look at your phone. This can be especially useful if you rely on notifications for work, as you’ll know if it’s a personal app or a work-related alert. According to Optimum, custom ringtones help you “Identify your loved ones and close circle.”

Avoid Alert Fatigue – Hearing the same generic notification sound repeatedly can lead to alert fatigue, causing you to ignore important notifications. Custom sounds make your alerts stand out and demand attention. As noted by Tchop, “Users are immune to hearing the standard beep or ting notification sounds.”

Reflect Personality – Choosing fun, quirky notification sounds allows you to showcase your personality and style. Custom sounds also enable self-expression according to Verizon.

Prioritize Certain Apps – Custom sounds can help you identify and prioritize alerts from your most important apps, like email or messaging.

How to Change Notification Sounds on iOS

You can easily customize the default notification sounds on your iPhone or iPad. Here are the steps to change the default notification sounds:

1. Open the Settings app on your iOS device.

2. Tap on “Sounds & Haptics.”

3. Under “Sounds and Vibration Patterns,” tap on “Default Alerts.”

4. You will see a list of the built-in notification sounds on your iPhone. Tap on the sound you want to set as the new default.

5. The sound you selected will now play when you receive new notifications for apps like Messages, Mail, Calendar, and more.

Some popular notification sounds to choose from include Radar, Hillside, Choo Choo, and more. You can preview the sounds before selecting one.

That’s all there is to customizing the default notification sounds on your iPhone or iPad! Now your device will have a brand new sound for incoming notifications.

Customizing Notification Sounds on Android

Android allows you to customize notification sounds so that you can set different sounds for different apps or contacts. Here are the steps to change the default notification sounds on Android:

1. Open the Settings app on your Android device.
2. Tap on “Sound & vibration” or “Sounds & vibration”.
3. Tap on “Default notification sound”.
4. You will see a list of built-in notification sounds on your device. Tap on the sound you want to set as the default.
5. To use a custom sound, tap on “Add ringtone” at the bottom. This will allow you to select audio files from your device storage or download new ringtones from the Play Store.
6. Once you select the custom notification sound, it will be added to the list of available sounds.
7. Tap on the back arrow to go back and select your new custom sound as the default notification sound.

If you want custom sounds for specific apps, you can go into the app’s individual notification settings and change the sound just for notifications from that app. This allows you to set unique sounds for different apps.

Some Android skins like Samsung OneUI also have advanced options to set contact-specific notification sounds, as well as scheduling when certain sounds are active.

Using Ringtone Apps

One easy way to get more custom notification sounds is to use ringtone apps. Apps like Zedge give you access to a huge library of ringtones, notification sounds, alarm sounds, and more. The apps curate sounds from various sources and make them available for free or for a small fee.

Ringtone apps like Zedge work similarly on both iOS and Android. You can browse or search through their library of sounds, preview any of them, and then download ones you like directly to your device. The sounds will be available to set as your default notification sound or assign to specific apps.

The benefit of using a ringtone app is convenience. Rather than scouring the internet yourself for notification sounds, the app aggregates tons of sounds in one place. They often have categories and advanced search to find exactly what you’re looking for. And it’s quick and easy to preview and download sounds right in the app.

So if you want more diversity in your alert sounds beyond the default options, downloading a ringtone app is a handy way to get access to a world of custom sounds for your notifications.

Creating Custom Notification Sounds

If the default notification sounds or available ringtone apps don’t offer what you’re looking for, you can create custom notification sounds from scratch for a personalized experience.

On Android, you can use audio editing apps like Audacity to record or generate any sound you want, then export it as an MP3 or WAV file. Just make sure the file is under 30 seconds for best compatibility. Then move the sound file to your Android’s internal storage or SD card at a path like Ringtones/Notification Tones. Go to Settings > Sound > Advanced > Default notification sound and select your custom sound. This tutorial covers the full process.

For iOS, you can use GarageBand or other audio apps to create a custom sound, export to MP3 or M4R, then add it to your iTunes library on a computer. Sync that sound to your iPhone, then go to Settings > Sounds to select it. There are a few more steps involved, but this Facebook post outlines them.

The main thing is to ensure your sound file is compatible and placed in the proper folder location for your device. But with a few simple steps, you can set any unique sound for notifications on both major mobile platforms.

Troubleshooting Sound Issues

If you are not hearing any notification sounds or the wrong sounds are being used, there are some troubleshooting steps you can try:

On iOS, go to Settings > Sounds and check that your notification sounds are enabled and set to the desired sounds. Make sure your ringer volume is turned up as well (source).

For Android, check Settings > Sound and vibration > Advanced sound settings to confirm your notification sounds are enabled. You may need to toggle the app notifications on/off to reset the sound (source).

Try restarting your phone, as that can sometimes resolve glitched notification sounds. Additionally, check that you don’t have any apps installed that are suppressing notifications or changing notification sounds, like automation apps.

If notifications are still silent, try updating your iOS or Android OS, app, and phone software to see if that corrects the missing notification sounds. As a last resort, you may need to reset app preferences or perform a factory reset on your device.

Accessibility Considerations

For visually impaired users, notification sounds serve as important cues providing awareness of incoming alerts. Without sound notifications, visually impaired users may miss important alerts from apps and services. According to How to use Google Nest Mini, voice assistants like Google Home allow users to customize accessibility features like notification sounds.

Changing notification sounds to provide more distinctive alerts can help visually impaired users identify notifications from different apps. Selecting notification sounds with variability in tone, pitch, tempo, and volume makes each alert more discernible. Visually impaired users may also increase the volume of notification sounds to ensure alerts are audible. With thoughtful customization of notification sounds, apps can provide accessible and helpful cues for all users.

Conclusion

Changing notification sounds is a simple way to customize your device to suit your preferences. Every operating system allows you to change notification sounds to your liking. Android users have the option to set different notification sounds for each individual app using the Sound settings. This level of customization gives you the freedom to tailor the experience for each app. iOS users can change the system-wide default notification sound through their Settings. While there is less customization for iOS, you can still personalize the default sound for all apps. Third party apps also provide more flexibility for custom notification sounds on both Android and iOS. With free apps like Zedge, you can choose from an endless library of sounds or even create your own. Whether you want your favorite song or a unique tone, it’s easy to make notification sounds that fit your style.

In summary, changing notification sounds only takes a few taps. All major mobile operating systems give you control over the alerts you receive. Take advantage of these customization options to choose notification sounds that work for you. Just a small audio tweak can greatly improve your overall notification experience.