How do I customize my notification sound?

Custom notification sounds allow you to set a unique sound for the alerts from specific apps on your phone. Rather than using the default notification sound, custom sounds let you personalize the notification experience so you can identify alerts without even looking at your phone. For example, you might set a barking dog sound for alerts from a dog walking app or a bicycle bell chime for a bike sharing app.

According to OneSignal, a notification service provider, custom sounds are “a way to provide a more unique, branded experience for your app.” Custom notification sounds offer several benefits:

Identify alerts from important apps without checking your phone

Reduce confusion, especially when juggling notifications from many apps
Showcase your personality by choosing fun or quirky sounds
Make apps more accessible for users with vision or hearing issues

Help filter out unwanted notifications and reduce digital distraction
Personalize branded mobile experiences for users

With the growth of mobile apps, custom notification sounds are becoming increasingly popular. Customization settings are built into Android and iOS to make setting up app-specific sounds quick and easy.

Accessing Sound Settings

To access your sound settings on Android, open your Settings app and tap on “Sound & vibration” or “Sounds & notifications.” On Samsung devices, look under “Sounds and vibration” in Settings. For other Android devices, the location may vary.

On iPhones and iPads, open the Settings app and select “Sounds & Haptics” to access sound settings for ringtones, alerts, and sound effects. You can also use the search bar at the top of Settings to quickly find “Sounds.”

The process looks slightly different between operating systems, but the sound settings can easily be accessed through the main Settings app on both Android and iOS devices. From there, you can customize notification sounds and audio preferences to your liking.

Default Notification Sounds

Most Android phones come with a set of built-in default notification sounds that you can choose from. According to this Google support thread, many Android phones used to allow apps to have their own unique notification sounds, but this feature was removed in later versions of Android.

The default notification sounds may vary slightly between different phone manufacturers. For example, this article notes that Samsung Galaxy phones come with notification sounds like “Over the Horizon” and “Drips,” while Google Pixel phones may have sounds like “Popcorn” and “Pipes.” Most phones tend to stick with simple chime, bell, whistle, or musical notification sounds.

You can preview and listen to the built-in notification sounds on your Android phone by going into your sound or notification settings. This lets you get a sense of what options are available out of the box before deciding if you want to download a custom sound instead.

Downloading Custom Sounds

You can download custom notification sounds to personalize your device from several sources including:

The Zedge mobile app – This app provides a huge library of free notification and ringtones sounds to select from. You can browse by category or search for a specific sound. You can also create your own custom sounds with sounds, voice recordings or even music via their Zedge Soundz feature. Highly recommended for Android devices.
Several built-in Android sound packs are available if you use a Pixel or Samsung Galaxy device (preloaded on your phone) or available for download from Samsung Themes or your device’s theme store. Sound sets include retro gaming, nature, EDM, anime and more.

Any audio file downloaded from the internet or your own personal

To set the file as your notification sound it must be in an audio format supported by your device. Common formats include: MP3, AAC, WAV, OGG, M4A, MIDI. Your device may support other formats too like FLAC or AMR. Avoid overly large files, aim for under 1-2 MB for best performance and remember not all formats and lengths may be fully supported.

Adding Custom Sounds

To add custom downloaded sounds to your notification options on your Android or iOS device, first download the sound files you want to use onto your device. According to this article, the files should be in .wav or .mp3 format and relatively small in size (e.g., under 1 MB) for best compatibility across devices.

Once you’ve downloaded the sounds, open your device’s settings to the Notifications or Sounds menu. There should be an option to add additional sounds or manage notification tones. Select this option and you’ll be able to import the custom audio files you downloaded to then select as sound options.

Most Android and iOS devices have a limit to how many custom audio files can be added. For example, Android may only allow up to 20 imported files, while old iPhone models may have a 50 file limit. The number of sounds may also be restrained by your available storage space. If you have issues adding more sounds, try deleting unused tones.

Setting Custom Sounds

Assigning custom notification sounds to specific apps and contacts is a great way to control which sounds you hear for different notifications.

On Android, you can assign custom sounds directly in the app’s notification preferences provided it supports such customization. For example, in Gmail you can set a particular contact’s email notification to a unique sound so you know when you’ve received an important email (source). Other apps may allow you to set a custom notification tone globally or assign ringtones to other app elements like channels or groups.

In iOS, you can set a different notification sound for each app through the Settings menu. Navigate to Settings > Notifications > [App Name] and select a custom sound. However, you cannot assign custom notification tones in iOS to specific contacts or email addresses within an app. The custom sound will be used for all notifications from that app (source).

So Android provides more customizable options when it comes to assigning unique notification sounds to specific entities like contacts. But both platforms allow setting a global custom notification tone for an entire app.

Managing Custom Sounds

Once you have added custom sounds to your device, there are several options for managing them over time. You may want to edit a sound’s label or file name, delete sounds you no longer need, or backup your custom sounds in case you reset your phone.

According to Echolocation, you can edit a sound’s name or label directly on your device. For Android, go into Settings > Sound & vibration > Notification sound, long-press on the custom sound, and select Edit. For iPhone, go into Settings > Sounds & Haptics, tap on a custom sound under ‘Sounds and Vibrations’ to access the edit function. You can also delete a sound from these menus.

In addition to on-device management, you may want to back up your custom notification sounds to make transferring to a new device easier. Echolocation outlines how to export or save custom notification sounds for backup purposes.

Troubleshooting

If you are having issues with missing, incorrect, or low-quality custom notification sounds, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can take:

First, check that the notification volume is turned up high enough to properly hear the custom sound. Go to Settings > Sound and vibration > Volume and make sure the “Media volume” and “Notification volume” sliders are set appropriately.

Next, check that Do Not Disturb mode is not enabled, as this will mute all notification sounds. Go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Do Not Disturb and make sure it is turned off.

You can also try going into the app that is having the notification sound issue, and re-selecting the custom sound you want it to use. Sometimes the custom sound setting does not properly save.

If the custom notification sound file is low quality or corrupted, it may play incorrectly or be difficult to hear. Try downloading a higher quality version of the sound file, or use a different sound file altogether.

On some Android devices, issues with custom sounds not working properly are due to software bugs. Check if there are any available OS updates for your device and install them, as these may include fixes for notification sound problems.

As a last resort, you can try resetting all notification sounds to default. Go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Default notification sound and select your desired default. Then go back and re-customize notification sounds for your apps.

If none of these troubleshooting tips resolve your issue, you may need to contact the device manufacturer or your mobile carrier for further support.

Notifications for Vision/Hearing

Many people rely on sound notifications to be aware of incoming calls, messages, and alerts. Those with hearing impairments or deafness often cannot hear standard notification sounds. Likewise, those with visual impairments depend more heavily on audio cues. Fortunately, Android provides robust accessibility features to customize notifications for those with vision or hearing needs.

The Sound Notifications setting under Accessibility allows you to choose from a variety of built-in ringtones and notification sounds. This includes options optimized for clarity. You can also download and add your own custom sounds. For example, you could record a personal voice saying “You have a new message.”

For audible notifications, you can adjust the volume, duration, and vibration intensity. Live Transcribe & Sound Amplifier by Google provide other helpful notification tools like visual cues. Those with light sensitivity can reduce screen brightness and enable high contrast themes.

Overall, Android strives to make notifications accessible for all. With custom sounds and extensive configuration options, you can tailor alerts to match your personal hearing and vision abilities.

Summary

Customizing your phone’s notification sounds is a great way to personalize your device and make alerts more useful. This article walked through the key steps to access your sound settings, download or add custom sounds, and set them to be used for specific notifications.

Now when an email comes in, you can have your phone play your favorite song. When your best friend texts you, you can assign a sound that makes you smile. Custom notification sounds help you identify the type of alert without even having to look at your phone.

Personalized notification sounds also assist those with vision or hearing issues. Unique ringtones and vibrate patterns let you easily distinguish notifications from just the sound or vibration. This allows greater awareness of your alerts without having to constantly check your phone screen.

Hopefully you now feel empowered to spice up your phone’s soundtrack and make use of all the customization options available. Tailored notification sounds lead to a more personalized device and better experience for you.