Can you give an app its own notification sound?
What are notification sounds?
Notification sounds are short audio clips that play when you receive a notification on your smartphone. They alert you to incoming calls, text messages, app alerts, calendar events, and other notifications. On iOS and Android devices, each notification type has a default sound assigned to it.
Notification sounds work by triggering the smartphone’s speaker to play an audio file when a new notification comes in. The operating system handles mapping specific notification types to audio clips. For example, on an iPhone, a new text message triggers the “Tri-tone” chime by default.
Platforms like iOS and Android come with a set of predefined notification sounds. On iOS, these include Tri-tone, Chord, and Opening. Android has sounds like Lollipop, Pixiedust, and Starlight. Users can typically choose between these default options or set custom sounds for notifications.
Why customize notification sounds?
Custom notification sounds allow users to easily identify and prioritize important alerts from different apps. The default notification sounds on mobile devices can start to blend together, making it difficult to distinguish critical notifications at a glance. Using a unique sound for your app’s notifications cuts through the noise so users don’t miss significant updates.
Custom sounds also help brand your app by associating it with an identifiable alert tone. Many popular apps have signature notification sounds that have become synonymous with their brand over time. Creating a memorable custom sound can help users engage more frequently with your app.
Finally, custom notification sounds allow users to personalize their device experience just for fun. Setting different notification sounds for individual contacts or apps enables self-expression and keeps the device feeling fresh. While not critical, offering custom sounds can delight users and improve app retention.
How to customize notification sounds on iOS
You can easily set custom notification sounds for different apps on iOS. Here’s how:
First, navigate to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Sounds. Next, tap “Ringtone” or “Text Tone” and select “Add New Sound” to add any custom audio files you want to use for notifications. Finally, go into the settings for each individual app and select the custom sound you want to set for that app’s notifications.
To be more specific:
- Navigate to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Sounds (https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/abvyrx/is_it_possible_to_use_a_custom_notification_sound/)
- Add custom sounds you want for notifications by tapping “Ringtone” or “Text Tone” and selecting “Add New Sound”
- Open an app’s settings, go to notifications, and under “Sound” choose the custom sound you want for that app
With just those few steps, you can customize notification sounds on an app-by-app basis on iOS devices. So if you want your messages app to have a different sound than your email app, it’s very easy to set up.
How to customize notification sounds on Android
You can easily customize notification sounds for individual apps on Android. Here are the steps:
First, open the Settings app and go to Notifications. Then tap on App notifications (some devices may say Application notifications).
This will bring up a list of all the apps installed on your device. Tap on the app you want to customize notifications for.
On the next screen for that app’s notifications, look for the Sound option. Tap on Sound to change the notification sound just for that app. You’ll be able to pick from the system notification sound options or choose any audio file saved on your device.
After selecting a custom notification sound, it will be set for that app going forward. You can repeat these steps for any other apps you want to set custom notification sounds for.
This capability to configure per-app notification sounds is built into Android and works on devices from Samsung, Google, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and most other popular brands. It provides an easy way to customize your notification experience on Android.
Sources:
https://www.makeuseof.com/how-to-customize-notification-sounds-android/
Can you set different notification sounds for specific apps?
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How developers implement custom notification sounds
Developers have a few options when implementing custom notification sounds in their apps:
On Android, developers can use notification channels to assign different sounds for each channel. When posting a notification, they specify the channel ID which determines the sound that will play. Developers can package audio files such as .mp3s into their app and set the sound for a notification channel to one of these custom audio files.
On iOS, developers use the UNNotificationSound class to change the default system sound for notifications. They initialize a UNNotificationSound object with the name of an audio file bundled in their app. Then when scheduling a notification with UNNotificationRequest, they set the sound property to their custom UNNotificationSound object.
So on both platforms, developers need to include any custom audio files within their app bundle and then reference those files when configuring notification channels or notification requests. This allows full control over the sounds used for notifications.
Best practices for custom notification sounds
When designing custom notification sounds, following best practices enhances the user experience and increases the chance users will enable sounds. Here are some top tips:
Keep sounds short and simple. According to Why Custom Push Sounds are such a big win for your app, notifications between 2-3 seconds work best. Avoid overly complex or long sounds.
Test notification sounds on different devices. The audio experience can vary across operating systems and hardware. Verify the sound is clear on both iOS and Android devices before releasing.
Allow users to opt out of custom sounds. Provide settings to disable custom sounds and use the default tone instead. Don’t force a branded sound if users prefer simplicity.
Fall back to the default notification sound when custom audio fails. If the device cannot load the custom sound, use the system default as a backup to ensure notifications are still heard.
Creative uses of custom notification sounds
There are many creative ways to use custom notification sounds to enhance the user experience:
Branding with a branded sound – Companies can create branded notification sounds to reinforce their brand identity whenever users get alerts. For example, Snapchat uses its signature ghost sound and Twitter uses a chirping bird sound.
Different sounds for different notifications – Users can set different custom sounds for various apps or notification types to quickly identify them. For example, a text message tone, email tone, and app notifications can all have distinct sounds.
Funny or musical sounds – Custom sounds don’t have to be practical. People often set funny sounds like meme audio clips or musical sounds like their favorite song chorus for entertainment.
Overall, custom notification sounds allow users to personalize their device experience and brands to better engage customers. With so many audio options, notification sounds can be endlessly creative.
Case studies and examples
Many popular apps utilize custom notification sounds to create a unique and recognizable experience. Two great examples are Slack and weather apps. Slack uses distinctive sounds to differentiate notifications from co-workers and channels. The sounds are tied to the Slack branding and help users quickly identify Slack notifications. Weather apps like AccuWeather frequently use weather-related sounds like thunder, rain, or wind gusts for their notifications. This reinforces their branding and improves the user experience by matching sounds to weather conditions. Custom notification sounds allow apps to enhance branding, usability, and fun.
Tools and resources
There are a variety of tools available to help create custom notification sounds for both iOS and Android:
Developer documentation from companies like OneSignal provide guidelines on formatting sound files and instructions on uploading custom audio.
Apps like Kapwing Studio, GarageBand, and Audio Evolution Mobile Studio allow you to record, edit, and export notification sounds.
When creating sound files, it’s important to follow platform guidelines on length (under 30 seconds), file size, and formats like .mp3, .wav, or .aac. Custom sounds should be distinctive but not too disruptive.
Summary
As we’ve seen, it’s easy to customize notification sounds for both iOS and Android apps. On iOS, you can set a custom sound in the Settings app for each app’s notifications. On Android, developers have more control and can bundle custom sound files with their apps that are triggered for notifications.
Using custom notification sounds allows you to personalize your device experience and assign distinct sounds for different apps. This helps you identify which app is notifying you without having to look at your device. Custom sounds also lend personality to apps and can make their notifications more fun and engaging.
When choosing custom notification sounds, aim for short audio clips that are pleasant but easily identifiable. You can get creative with sound effects, song clips, or recordings. Just be sure the sound fits the app and brand identity. Also be mindful of volume, since notification sounds play in public.
With the power to customize notification audio, you can build a unique sonic identity for your apps. Notification sounds present a subtle but meaningful way to enhance the user experience.