iOS · iPhone & iPad

Change notification sounds on iPhone

Source-checked 7 August 2026About 3 minutes

Answer

Open Settings > Sounds & Haptics, tap the alert you want to change, then tap a tone. For a supported app-specific sound, use Settings > Notifications > the app > Sounds.

Open Sounds & Haptics

Open the Settings app and tap Sounds & Haptics. Under Sounds and Haptic Patterns, find the alert you want to change, such as Ringtone, Text Tone, New Mail, Calendar Alerts, or Reminder Alerts.

Sounds and Haptics settings showing Ringtone, Text Tone, and alert options on iPhone

Choose the alert type

Tap Ringtone for incoming calls, Text Tone for messages, or the named mail, calendar, or reminder row for that system alert. This choice determines which alert will use the new sound.

Select and preview a tone

Tap a tone to preview and select it. The checkmark shows the current choice; tap None only if you intentionally want that alert to make no sound.

Text Tone list on iPhone with a checkmark beside the selected notification sound

Choose the vibration pattern

Tap Haptics at the top of the tone screen, then select a vibration pattern. You can also choose None or create a custom vibration, then return to the tone list.

Change a supported app's sound

For an app-specific tone, go to Settings > Notifications, tap the app, make sure Allow Notifications is on, then tap Sounds. If Sounds or a list of tones does not appear, that app does not offer this iPhone setting; check the app's own settings instead.

Test the exact alert

Have someone call or message you, or trigger the system or app alert you changed. If you cannot hear it, temporarily turn off Silent mode and raise the Ringtone and Alerts slider in Settings > Sounds & Haptics.

Set a tone for one contact

To identify one person by sound, open Contacts, select the person, tap Edit, then tap Ringtone or Text Tone. Choose the sound and tap Done to save the contact.

If it does not work

No sound during the test: Turn off Silent mode, raise the Ringtone and Alerts volume, and check whether a Focus is silencing the person or app.
Sounds is missing for an app: Apple exposes the sound picker only for supported apps. Look in the app's own notification settings; do not reset or reinstall the iPhone just to make this menu appear.
The old tone still plays: Confirm that you changed the matching row. Ringtone affects calls, Text Tone affects messages, and app-specific notification sounds may use a separate setting.

Sources and verification

Checked against official documentation on 7 August 2026. Scope: iPhone & iPad.

Verified against Apple's current iPhone settings paths. Some apps do not offer a selectable notification sound.