How do I change text message sound on Android?

One of the benefits of Android is the ability to customize many aspects of your device, including the notification sounds for apps like text messaging. Android allows you to change the default text message notification sound to any sound file saved on your device or downloaded from an app store. You can even set custom text tones for individual contacts.

The process to change text message notification sounds may vary slightly depending on your specific Android device and version of the Android operating system. But the general steps outlined in this guide should work on most Android phones and tablets.

Locate Sound Settings

The first step in changing the text message sound on an Android device is to locate the sound settings menu. Most Android devices keep sound and notification controls in the Settings app:

1. Open the Settings app on your device. On most devices, you can access Settings from the app drawer or by pulling down the notification panel and tapping the gear icon.

2. Go to the “Sounds” or “Sounds & notifications” section of the Settings menu. This is usually found one or two sections down within Settings (source)

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If you have an older Android device, you may need to tap “Display” or “Display & sounds” in Settings to locate sound options.

Change Default Notification Sound

To change your default SMS notification sound on Android:

1. Open the Settings app and tap on “Sound & vibration”.
2. Tap on “Notification sounds”.

3. Tap on Default notification sound option to change the default sound for text messages.

4. You will see a list of ringtones available on your device. Select new sound from options to pick a new default sound for incoming texts. Consider choosing a short, attention getting sound (The Pixel’s “Trill” is pretty good. Anything short and not harsh [1]).

Set Custom Text Tone

To set a custom sound for text message notifications on Android:

1. Open your Messages or Text Messaging app and go into its settings. For most Android phones this can be accessed by tapping the 3 dots or 3 line icon in the top right corner.

2. Look for the setting called “Text tone” or “Notification tone” and tap into that section. This is where you can choose custom sounds.

3. Tap on any of the available notification sound options to preview it. Select the one you like best as your new custom text tone. Many Android phones come with lots of built-in options to choose from.

As an example, according to this Reddit discussion, some popular text notification sounds people like to use are video game sound effects or tones from movies and TV shows. Just keep in mind any custom audio may be more limited on some Android models compared to others.

Use Preloaded Sounds

Android devices come with a number of preloaded ringtones, alarm sounds, and notification sounds that you can use instead of the default sounds. Most Android phones from Samsung, Google, LG, Motorola, and other popular brands have over 30 sounds built-in to choose from.

Using the preloaded sounds is a good option if you want to change your text sound but don’t want to download any new sounds. The selection includes ringtones and alerts like orchestra hits, digital chimes, guitars, pianos, harps, and more.

To set a preloaded sound for your text notifications:

1. Open the Settings app
2. Tap Sounds & vibration
3. Tap Text message notification sound
4. Browse the available sounds and select one

The preloaded sounds may be basic, but provide a quick way to customize your notification sounds if the default tone gets annoying after a while. Just tap through and listen to the different options to find one you like.

Download New Sounds

One of the best ways to get more notification sounds on your Android phone is to download new sounds from the Google Play Store or other websites. There are many free soundboard apps and websites that offer downloadable notification tones, ringtones, alarm sounds and more [1].

Some popular soundboard apps to check out include:

• Zedge: Huge library of free notification sounds, ringtones, wallpapers and more
• Notification Sounds: Collection of notification tones, message sounds and ringtones
• Ringtone Maker: Create custom notification tones from your music files

You can also find notification sound effects and soundboards on sites like Freesound and SoundBible. Download files in MP3 or other audio formats that are compatible with your Android device.

Set Sounds for Contacts

To set a custom text tone for a specific contact:

1. Open the Contacts app on your device and select the contact you want to assign a custom tone to.

2. Tap the Edit icon, which may appear as a pencil icon or 3 vertical dots menu.

According to Android Central, on the next screen, tap “Set Ringtone.”

3. Select “Add ringtone” and choose an audio file from your device storage to set as the custom tone for that contact.

The supported audio formats include MP3, AAC, WAV, OGG, and FLAC.

4. Once chosen, that custom sound will play when you receive text messages or notifications from the assigned contact moving forward.

Troubleshooting

If you don’t hear new sounds for text message notifications after changing the default notification tone, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can try:

First, double check that the new notification sound is properly selected by going to Settings > Notifications > Advanced > Default notification sound (Source: https://www.thetechedvocate.org/top-10-ways-to-fix-notification-sound-not-working-on-android/). Make sure the new sound tone is chosen.

You should also try restarting your Android device, as a refresh can help sound settings to take effect correctly. Simply power your phone off completely, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on (Source: https://www.theedadvocate.org/10-ways-to-fix-notification-sound-not-working-on-android/).

Another option is to check if Do No Disturb mode is enabled, which could mute sounds even if a custom text tone is set. Make sure DND is turned off by going to Settings > Sound & Vibration > Do Not Disturb and toggling the switch off.

If the issue persists after trying the above suggestions, you may need to perform additional troubleshooting, such as clearing the app cache for the Messages app, filing a bug report, or contacting customer support for further help.

Automation Apps

Apps like IFTTT allow you to create automations to automatically change notification sounds on your Android device. Here are some useful examples of automations you can set up:

• Create an automation to play a custom sound when you receive a notification from a specific app or contact. This allows you to set custom sounds for different apps or contacts.
• Set up an automation to change your notification sound at certain times of day. For example, you could have one sound during work hours and another after hours.
• Automatically change the notification sound when you enter or exit a specific location. Useful for setting quiet notification sounds at home or louder sounds when out and about.

With an automation app like IFTTT, you can take customization of your notification sounds to the next level. The options are vast once you start creating personalized automations tailored to your usage and schedule.

Conclusion

In summary, there are several easy ways to customize your text message notification sounds on Android. The key steps are:

1. Go to Settings and open Sound settings.
2. Tap on Default notification sound and select a new tone.
3. To set a custom text tone for specific contacts, open Contacts, select a contact, tap Edit and under Custom ringtone select a unique tone.
4. Download new notification tones from the Google Play Store or other sources.

Being able to personalize your text notification sounds is an important part of the Android experience. With just a few taps, you can set tones that fit your personality or make it easier to identify who is texting you. Taking the time to customize these notification sounds can greatly improve your overall enjoyment of your Android device.