How do I make a sound when I receive a text?

Hearing the sound of a notification when you receive a new text message is incredibly useful, especially if you can’t always see your phone’s screen or feel its vibrations.

Having a notification sound play when a text arrives means you can be alerted to new messages and respond promptly, even if you’ve left your phone on silent mode or in another room.

Customizing a text notification sound also makes it easier to distinguish incoming text messages from other app notifications and calls based on the unique sound played.

Check Your Phone’s Settings

The first step to change the sound for new text message notifications is to access your phone’s main settings menu. On Android devices, open the Settings app and look for the Apps & Notifications section (https://support.google.com/android/answer/9079661?hl=en). On iPhones, open Settings and tap Notifications. Browse through the available options to find where notification sounds are configured.

As an example, on a Samsung Galaxy device you would:

Open Settings

Tap Notifications
Tap Advanced settings
Tap Notification sounds and vibrations to access sound options

Take a minute to explore your phone’s settings to understand where text message notification sounds can be modified. The options may be under Apps, Notifications, Sounds or another related menu.

Change Default Notification Sound

To change the default notification sound for incoming text messages on your phone, follow these steps:

Open the Settings app on your phone

Scroll down and tap on the “Sounds and vibration” section (on iPhone) or “Sound” or “Sound and vibration” section (on Android).
Locate the option that says “Default notification sound” or “Default text tone (iPhones)” or something similar. Tap on that. [1]
A list of built-in notification sounds will appear. Browse through the options and tap on the sound you would like to set as the new default sound for text notifications.

Tap “OK” or “Apply” to confirm and save your selection.

This changes the default sound for all incoming text messages. You should now hear the new sound you selected whenever you receive a new text message notification.

Use a Built-In Sound

iPhones come equipped with a selection of default notification sounds you can choose from. To use a built-in iPhone notification sound:

Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Tap “Sounds & Haptics”.
Under “Sounds and Vibration Patterns”, tap “Text Tone”. This will display a list of all the built-in notification sounds.

Browse through the different sounds and tap on one to preview it.
Once you’ve found one you like, tap “Back” in the top left to set it as your new text notification sound.

The default text tones in iOS offer a variety of options like chimes, ringtones, and brief musical clips. You can set different built-in sounds for your various notifications if you want texts, emails, calendar events etc. to have distinct sounds.

While limited compared to custom sounds, the stock notification sounds give you variety to personalize alerts on your iPhone.

Add a Custom Sound

You can add your own custom sound file as a notification sound on both iPhone and Android. To add your own sound on an iPhone:

Open the Settings app and tap Sounds & Haptics

Tap Sounds
Under Ringtone or Text Tone, tap Add New Sound
Select the sound file you want to add from your files. You can add .m4r or .caf files.

Tap Done to confirm, and your custom sound will now be selectable as a notification tone.

On Android, you add custom sounds via the Notification settings:

Open Settings > Sound & vibration

Tap Default notification sound then My Sounds
Tap the + icon to add your file
Select the sound file from your device storage to add

Make sure to select supported sound formats like .mp3 or .ogg

Now your added custom sound will be available to choose as your notification alert.

Adjust Sound Settings

You can customize the sound settings for notifications on your device to suit your preferences. Here are some ways to adjust the sound settings:

Control vibration intensity – Go to Settings > Sound & vibration and tap Vibration intensity. You can set the vibration to weak, medium, or strong for notifications. Or turn vibration off completely if you prefer.

Adjust media volume – Go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Volume and set the desired volume level for notifications specifically using the media slider. Keep in mind this adjusts notification sounds separate from ringtone or call volumes.

Use do not disturb – Enable do not disturb mode to silence notifications during set times or activities. Customize it to allow exceptions for contacts, alarms etc. Go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Do not disturb to configure.

By enabling do not disturb or lowering media volume you can control when or how loudly you receive notification sounds on your device. Experiment to find settings that suit your needs and preferences.

Set Contact Specific Sounds

An easy way to identify who is texting you without having to look at your phone is to set unique notification sounds for individual contacts. Both Android and iPhone make this simple to do.

On an Android device running Android 10 or newer:

Open the Contacts app and select the contact you want to customize.
Tap “Set ringtone” and select a unique sound to assign just to that person. You can browse built-in options or choose from downloaded ringtones or other audio files.

On an iPhone:

Open the Contacts app and select the person.
Tap “Edit” at the top and then “Text Tone.”
Browse Apple’s built-in alerts or tap “Buy More Tones” to purchase from iTunes.

Now whenever that contact texts you, your phone will play the unique sound you’ve assigned – without having to look at the screen you’ll know who it is. Much more convenient than one default tone for everyone!

Use a Ringtone as Notification

You can set a custom ringtone as the notification sound for incoming text messages on both iPhone and Android devices. This allows you to use a wider variety of sounds beyond just the default notification tones.

On an iPhone running iOS 17 or later, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics. Under Sounds and Haptic Patterns, tap the sound that you want to change. Select a ringtone from your library to preview it. Once you find the ringtone you want to use, tap ‘Save’ to set it as your new text notification sound (Source).

For Android devices, download the ringtone file to your phone storage. Then go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Phone ringtone. Select the ringtone file you downloaded. This will set it as both your call and notification sound. You can then go back and change the phone ringtone specifically to separate it from notifications (Source).

Using a ringtone for text notifications allows you to set a more unique and personalized sound for incoming messages.

Automate Based on Time or Location

You can set up custom notification sounds that are automatically triggered based on factors like the time of day or your location. This allows you to have fun, creative notification sounds play when the context calls for it.

Specify Sounds for Locations or Times

In your phone’s settings, you can assign distinct notification sounds to different locations or times. For example, have a cheerful bird chirp sound play when you receive texts during daytime hours when you want to remain upbeat. Or create location-based rules. A rooster crow might play when you get texts while at home, for instance. The possibilities are endless! Make sure to choose sounds that appropriately match the time and place you specify in the rules.

Connecting Sounds to Your Schedule

You can also schedule sound rules around your personal routine. Set a pleasant notification ding during morning hours when you’re commuting to work or having breakfast. Then make it switch to a majestic horn sound during work hours to grab your attention for important messages. Or have a triumphant fanfare chime play notifications after work hours when you’re ready to relax and have fun. The options you choose are completely customizable!

Getting creative with location and time-based notification sounds adds excitement and personality to your alerts. Give it a try to spice up your text message sounds!

Conclusion

When you receive a text message on your phone, you can customize the notification sound in a variety of ways to suit your preferences. The simplest option is to change the default notification sound in your phone’s main settings. You can also set custom sounds for individual contacts. Additionally, some phones allow you to automate notification sounds based on factors like time of day or location.

In the end, customizing your text notification sounds allows you to personalize your phone alerts. Choose built-in sounds that you enjoy, add custom sounds that fit your style, or automate sounds for different contexts. With all of the available options, you can make sure your phone makes a sound you love whenever you get a new text.