Where is the Gmail Sound notification?

Gmail notifications alert users about new emails received in their Gmail inbox. The notifications appear as a pop-up banner on desktop or as an alert on mobile devices. One type of Gmail notification is the sound notification, which plays a brief sound when a new email comes in.

The Gmail sound notification allows users to audibly know when new mail has arrived even when Gmail is running in the background. This can be useful for being alerted to important emails without having to actively monitor the inbox. Users can customize the notification sound in Gmail settings.

This article will cover how to find the setting to enable/disable the Gmail sound notification and how to customize the sound on desktop and mobile. Troubleshooting tips for issues with Gmail notifications will also be provided.

What is the Gmail Sound Notification?

The Gmail sound notification is an audio alert that plays when you receive a new email in your Gmail inbox. It allows you to know that a new message has arrived even if you don’t have the Gmail window open on your desktop or the app open on your mobile device.

The purpose of the Gmail notification sound is to provide an audible cue that a new email has come in, so you can take action to view, read, and respond to the message if needed. Without the sound enabled, you would need to manually check your inbox to see new messages.

The notification sound plays by default whenever a new email arrives in your primary inbox. You can customize the sound or disable it entirely based on your preferences.

Where to Find the Gmail Sound Notification Setting

The Gmail sound notification setting can be accessed in a few different ways depending on the device you are using.

On a desktop computer, follow these steps to find the Gmail sound notification setting:

Open the Gmail website in your browser and click on the Settings gear icon in the top right corner.

Click on “See all settings”.
Scroll down to the “Desktop Notifications” section.
Under “New mail notifications”, check the box next to “Play sound” to enable the Gmail sound notification.

On an Android device, follow these steps:

Open the Gmail app.
Tap the three line “hamburger” menu icon in the top left corner.

Tap on “Settings”.
Tap on your account name.
Under “Inbox sound & vibrate”, toggle on “Sound” to enable the notification sound.

On an iPhone or iPad, go to:

Settings app > Notifications > Gmail > Sounds
Toggle on “New Mail” to enable the Gmail new mail sound notification.

Enabling/Disabling the Gmail Sound Notification

Here are the step-by-step instructions for turning the Gmail sound notification on or off:

On desktop:

Open Gmail and click on the Settings gear icon in the top right.

Select “See all settings.”
Go to the “Desktop notifications” section.
Under “Notification sounds,” select your preferred option:
- To turn on sounds, select “Default Gmail sounds.”
- To turn off sounds, select “None.”
Scroll to the bottom and click “Save changes.”

On Android:

Open the Gmail app.
Tap the three line menu icon in the top left.

Go to Settings.
Tap your account name.
Tap “Notfications.”

Under “Notifications,” tap “Notification sounds.”
Select your preferred option:
- To turn on sounds, select “Gmail Default.”
- To turn off sounds, select “None.”
Tap the back arrow in the top left to save the setting.

On iOS:

Open the Gmail app.
Tap the hamburger menu icon in the top left.
Go to Settings.

Tap your account name.
Tap “Notifications.”
Under “Notification sounds,” select your preferred option:
- To turn on sounds, select “Gmail Default.”
- To turn off sounds, select “None.”
Tap “Gmail” in the top left to save the setting.

Turning off the Gmail notification sound can help eliminate distractions. However, enabling it can alert you to new emails so you don’t miss important messages.

Customizing the Gmail Notification Sound

On iOS devices like iPhone and iPad, you can customize the notification sound specifically for the Gmail app. Here are the steps to change the Gmail notification sound on iOS (according to sources like this YouTube tutorial):

Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.

Scroll down and tap on Notifications.
Select Gmail from the list of apps.
Under Sounds, tap on Default.

This will open your ringtones library. Browse through and select the sound you want to set for Gmail notifications.
Tap Back in the top left corner when done.

The selected sound will now play for every new Gmail notification on your iOS device. You can return to these steps at any time to choose a different notification sound for Gmail.

On Android, the process is similar – go into the Gmail app’s settings, then tap into Notifications and select the notification sound you want. Custom notification sounds may not be available on all Android versions.

Gmail Sound Notification on Mobile

The Gmail app for iOS and Android allows you to customize the notification sound when you receive a new email. Here’s how to locate the setting on mobile:

On iOS:

Open the Gmail app
Tap the hamburger menu icon in the top left
Go to Settings > Account Name > Notifications

Under “Notification Sounds”, tap New Mail
Select the desired sound or None to disable

On Android:

Open the Gmail app
Tap the hamburger menu icon in the top left
Go to Settings > [Account Name] > Notifications

Under “Default notification sound”, select the desired sound

You can set a unique notification sound for each Gmail account configured on your device. This allows you to easily distinguish which account received a new email when you hear the notification sound.

Troubleshooting Issues

If you are having issues with the Gmail sound notification not working properly, there are some troubleshooting steps you can take to fix it:

Check your device’s notification settings – Open the Settings app on your device and ensure notifications are enabled for Gmail. Make sure the notification sound is turned on and not set to “None.” You may need to check both your system notification settings and within the Gmail app itself.

Restart your device – Sometimes restarting your phone or computer can help resolve notification issues. Fully power down and restart to reset the notification system.

Re-install the Gmail app – If notifications are still not working, try uninstalling Gmail and re-installing the app. This will clear any corrupt cache files that could be causing problems.

Update Gmail – Make sure you have the latest version of the Gmail app, as notification bugs are often fixed in app updates. Install any available updates.

Clear Gmail app cache/data – In your device settings, find Gmail and clear the cache and app data. This will reset the app and often fixes notification issues.

Check Do Not Disturb settings – Make sure Do Not Disturb mode is not enabled on your device, as this will block notifications. Disable DND and test if Gmail notifications now work.

Contact Google support – For persistent notification problems, contact Gmail support for troubleshooting help. They may have insight into known Gmail notification bugs.

See this article for more detailed troubleshooting steps to fix Gmail notification sound issues.

Other Gmail Notification Settings

In addition to sound notifications, Gmail offers various settings to customize notifications on your desktop and mobile devices.

On desktop, you can enable browser notifications to get pop-up alerts when receiving new mail. Simply click the notifications icon in the top right and toggle browser notifications on.

The desktop Settings menu also lets you configure email notifications for specific events like new mail arrival, scheduled send confirmations, suspicious activity, and more. You can choose to get notifications instantly, in bundled digests, or not at all.

On mobile, the Gmail app provides extensive notification controls. You can enable or disable badges, sounds, vibration patterns, lights, pop-ups and lock screen alerts for different types of notifications.

Under App Settings > Notifications, you’ll find toggles for each notification type. This allows granular control over which alerts you receive on your mobile device.

Additionally, Android allows overriding app-level settings by adjusting system notification preferences for the Gmail app. iOS provides similar overrides under Settings > Notifications > Gmail.

By configuring these additional notification options, you can customize alerts to suit your preferences across desktop and mobile.

Third-Party Apps for Custom Notifications

In addition to the built-in notification customization in Gmail, there are also some third-party apps that can provide more options for customizing notifications:

One popular option is Boomerang. Boomerang allows you to schedule emails to be sent later, get reminders on messages you send, and customize notifications for incoming emails. For example, you can set customized alerts for certain senders or emails with specific content. Boomerang has apps for both iOS and Android.

Other apps like Mixmax and Streak also provide expanded customization for Gmail notifications and inbox management. While the native Gmail options cover the basics, third-party apps can provide more robust customization for power users.

Summary

In summary, the Gmail sound notification is the audio alert that plays when you receive a new Gmail message. This sound can be enabled, disabled or customized within your Gmail settings on both desktop and mobile. On desktop, the setting is found under Settings > Notifications. On mobile, it is located in the app settings. You can choose from several default notification sounds or upload your own audio file.

The main purposes of the Gmail notification sound are to alert you audibly when a new email arrives and allow you to customize the sound to your preferences. It serves as an additional sensory cue beyond just the visual notification. Disabling the sound allows you to silence email notifications if desired.

With the ability to enable/disable and customize the sound, you can control the Gmail notification experience. This gives you flexibility based on your needs – like using different sounds for different accounts or adding sounds that are more pleasant or get your attention better. In summary, the Gmail sound notification provides an customizable audible alert for new emails.