How to set custom notification sound in Android programmatically?
A custom notification sound allows users to set a unique sound for notifications from a particular app on their Android device. This allows users to easily identify notifications from that app by the custom sound. Programmatically setting a custom notification sound in an Android app provides more control for developers and allows implementing this feature without requiring user configuration in system settings.
The Android notification system allows apps to notify users of events and information even when the app is not open. Notifications are displayed in the status bar, notification shade, lock screens, etc. Using custom notification sounds can make an app’s notifications stand out and be more recognizable.
Prerequisites
Here are the key prerequisites you’ll need to set custom notification sounds in Android:
Knowledge of Android development and Java – You’ll need a solid foundation in Java and experience building Android apps in order to work with the Android notification APIs and programmatically customize notifications.
Experience with Android Studio – Android Studio is the official IDE for Android development. Familiarity with the tools and workflows in Android Studio will help you quickly implement custom notification sounds.
Basic understanding of the Android notifications API – The Android notifications API allows you to build rich notifications with advanced features like custom sounds. Having a basic grasp of notifications will make this process easier.
Get Default Notification Sound
The first step is to get the URI for the default notification sound. This can be done using the RingtoneManager class in Android.
The RingtoneManager provides access to ringtones, notification sounds, and other audio assets. It can retrieve the system default sound URIs for various sound types like ringtone, notification, and alarm. The method getDefaultUri() is used to get the default URI.
For example, to get the default notification sound URI:
Uri defaultSoundUri = RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_NOTIFICATION);
The TYPE_NOTIFICATION constant passed to getDefaultUri() specifies that we want the default notification sound URI.
The RingtoneManager handles querying different media providers on the device to find the actual audio asset for the default sound. This saves us from having to know where default sounds are stored.
Pick Custom Sound File
To let the user select a custom sound file, we can use an Intent with the Intent.ACTION_GET_CONTENT action. This will open the system file picker and allow the user to browse and select an audio file. We start the Intent like this:
Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_GET_CONTENT);
intent.setType("audio/*");
startActivityForResult(intent, REQUEST_CODE);
We specify the MIME type as “audio/*” so that only audio files are shown. The result is returned to onActivityResult() where we can retrieve the selected file’s URI.
@Override
protected void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) {
if (requestCode == REQUEST_CODE && resultCode == RESULT_OK) {
Uri selectedUri = data.getData();
// Use URI to get file path, name etc.
}
}
This file pick Intent approach allows us to let the user select any audio file from external or internal storage. We can then read the contents of the selected file and use the audio data to set a custom notification sound.
Set Custom Sound
To set a custom sound for the notification, we need to use the setSound() method on the Notification.Builder object. The Notification.Builder is used to construct the actual Notification object with the desired parameters. The setSound() method accepts a Uri as a parameter which points to the sound file to be played when the notification is shown.
For example:
Uri soundUri = Uri.parse("android.resource://" + getPackageName() + "/" + R.raw.custom_sound);
Notification.Builder builder = new Notification.Builder(this)
.setSound(soundUri)
.setContentTitle("New message")
.setContentText("You've received a new message!");
Here we are creating a Uri which points to a custom sound file named custom_sound located in our raw resources folder. This URI is then passed to the setSound() method of the Notification.Builder to set the custom sound.
The Notification.Builder class contains many other useful methods to customize the notification, like setting title, text, small icon etc. Once we are done building the notification object, we can call builder.build() to finally create the Notification object and notify it.
Create Notification Channel
To create a notification channel in Android, you need to use the NotificationManager to call createNotificationChannel(). Notification channels are required for notifications in Android 8.0 (API level 26) and higher. Channels allow users to have more control over notification categories, with options like blocking specific channels, changing the importance, and overriding the notification sound or vibration pattern.
Notification channels are essential because starting with Android 8.0, all notifications must be assigned to a channel. The system will not deliver notifications without a channel. Each channel has its own settings for importance level, lights, vibrations, and sounds that allow custom configurations. Different notification types can have separate channels to better manage notifications.
Overall, notification channels enable more granular and purposeful notifications in Android. Calling createNotificationChannel() allows specifying the channel details programmatically. The importance of channels is that they become the delivery mechanism for notifications and allow customization options.
Build and Send Notification
To actually send the notification, you need to build a Notification object using the Notification.Builder class and send it via the NotificationManager. Here are the key steps:
1. Create a Notification.Builder object and set the notification contents like title, text, icon etc. This is where you would set the custom sound URI fetched earlier (notificationBuilder.setSound(soundUri)).
2. Build the notification object by calling notificationBuilder.build().
3. Get the NotificationManager system service.
4. Call notify() on the NotificationManager to send the notification.
So in summary, you need to build the Notification object with the custom sound set, then send it via the NotificationManager system service to deliver it.
Test Custom Sound
Once you have set up your notification to use a custom sound, it’s important to test that it is working as expected before releasing your app. Here are the main steps to verify that your custom notification sound is triggered correctly:
First, trigger a test notification from your app code. This can be done by calling notificationManager.notify() with your notification builder object. Make sure to use the same notification ID and channel ID that you set the custom sound on.
Next, verify that when your test notification arrives, it plays your selected custom sound file rather than the default notification sound. You should hear your custom sound play when the notification is shown.
To test your notification code thoroughly, it’s best to run tests on both emulators and real devices. Some tips:
- Test on different Android OS versions in case your code needs backwards compatibility fixes.
- Try triggering the notification from both foreground and background app states.
- Verify the sound works with phone on silent/do not disturb modes.
Automated UI testing frameworks like BrowserStack and Espresso can help fully test your notification code and flows. Fix any issues until the custom sound plays reliably in all required scenarios.
Considerations
When setting custom notification sounds programmatically in Android, there are a few things to consider:
First, you need to handle any errors that may occur when trying to access the custom sound file. For example, the file may not exist or may not be readable. In that case, you should catch the error and fall back to using the default notification sound rather than crashing the app.
Second, it’s a good idea to have a default sound set as a fallback in case no custom sound is selected by the user. That way you ensure the notification will still make a sound even if the custom file is unavailable for some reason.
Third, you need to check the Android version your app is running on and have alternate code for versions before Android Oreo, which introduced notification channels. Pre-Oreo you would set the sound on the NotificationCompat.Builder directly.
Finally, you may want to consider having a custom UI or settings screen in your app for users to select notification sounds rather than programmatically setting it. This provides a better user experience for customizing notifications.
With proper error handling, default fallbacks, and support for older Android versions, you can reliably set custom notification sounds in your Android app.
Conclusion
In summary, the main steps to programmatically set a custom notification sound in Android are:
- Get the default notification sound URI
- Select the custom sound file to use
- Set the custom sound URI on the notification builder
- Create a notification channel for Android 8.0+
- Build and send the notification
There are additional enhancements that could be made, such as allowing the user to select the custom sound from the app UI rather than hardcoding it. The notification channel could also be customized further with additional settings like importance, description, group, etc.
Setting a custom notification sound programmatically provides several benefits for both developers and users. It allows apps to brand their notifications with unique sounds that users will associate with the app. Custom sounds make notifications stand out more than the default system tones. For users, custom notification sounds make it easier to identify notifications from important apps without having to visually check their device. Overall, implementing custom notification sounds improves the user experience and brand identity of Android apps.