How to Get and Use Ringtones on an iPhone

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Download or create a ringtone for your iPhone

Written by Megaera Lorenz, PhD

Last Updated: August 21, 2024 Fact Checked

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Buying Ringtones from the Tone Store

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Buying Ringtones in the iTunes Store

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Creating Ringtones in Music/iTunes

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Creating Ringtones in GarageBand

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

This wikiHow teaches you how to purchase an iPhone ringtone from the Tone Store or the iTunes Store, as well as how to create a ringtone from scratch. Once you've purchased or uploaded a ringtone, you'll be able to add it to your iPhone.

Quick Steps

Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Navigate to Sounds & Haptics and tap Ringtone.
Tap Tone Store and select Tones.
Browse or search for a tone you like, then tap the price to purchase it.
Return to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone and select your new tone.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Buying Ringtones from the Tone Store

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In the latest version of iOS, you can buy new ringtones directly from the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap the
Settings icon on your Home Screen or in your App Library to start.^{[1]
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It’s in the second group of settings, right under Notifications.

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You can also select any other notification sound from the list that you’d like to change (such as Text Tone, New Voicemail, etc.).
It’s a blue link near the top of the page.
This will take you to the Tones section of the iTunes Store.
You can also use the Search tab at the bottom of the screen to search for a song or artist, then tap Ringtones at the top of the list of results to display any matching ringtones.
You can also tap the name of the ringtone to view a page with more information about it (such as how long it is and how other users have rated it).
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Tap the price of the ringtone to buy it. When you’re ready, tap the price icon to the right of the tone to purchase it. A menu will pop open with a list of options.
- You can choose Set as Default Ringtone, Set as Default Text Tone, or Assign to a Contact.
- If you just tap Done, you’ll be prompted to complete your purchase and the tone will be downloaded to your phone. From there, you can choose to set it as your ringtone from the Ringtone menu in Settings.
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Return to the Ringtone menu and select your tone. If you already set the tone as your new ringtone when you purchased it, you can skip this step. Otherwise, to back to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone and tap the tone you downloaded, which should show up at the top of the list of available tones. You’ll see a line separating your purchased and downloaded tones from the default options.
- If you’ve bought other tones in the past but you don’t see them in the list, tap the Download All Purchased Tones link under the Store header. They should appear at the top of your list of tones.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Buying Ringtones in the iTunes Store

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1
Open your iPhone's iTunes Store. While the main iTunes app has been discontinued on Apple products, the iTunes Store still exists, and you can use it to buy ringtones. Tap the iTunes Store app icon, which resembles a white star on a magenta background.^{[2]
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- If you don’t have this app, you can download it from the App Store.
It's in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
This option is at the top of the "More" page.
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Find a ringtone you wish to purchase. You can do so by scrolling down through the "Featured" page, or you can tap the Search tab at the bottom of the screen and type in the name of an artist, a song, or a movie to search for specifics.
- If you use the search function, you’ll get general results for the song or artist you searched for. Tap the Ringtones tab at the top of the search results page to see just matching ringtones.
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Tap the price to the right of a ringtone. If you searched for a specific item, first tap the Ringtones tab near the top of the screen.
- You can also tap the icon next to a tone to hear a preview, or tap the name of the tone to view an information page.
- If you don't have a payment method set up with Apple Pay, create one before proceeding.
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Tap Done when prompted. It will appear at the bottom of the "New Tone" menu. If you'd rather apply your ringtone to a specific person or function, you can also tap one of the following options:
- Set as Default Ringtone — Sets your selected ringtone as your new default ringtone for incoming phone and FaceTime calls.
- Set as Default Text Tone — Sets your selected ringtone as the default alert for all incoming text messages.
- Assign to a Contact — Brings up your contact list so that you can pick a contact to whom your selected ringtone will apply.
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Enter your Touch ID or Apple ID password. When prompted, scan your finger or type in your Apple ID password. Doing so prompts the ringtone to begin downloading.
- Depending on your iPhone’s settings, you may also be able to use Face ID and/or double-click the side button to confirm your purchase.
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Wait for your ringtone to finish downloading. Once it does, it will appear in your iPhone's list of ringtones.
- You can view the ringtone by opening Settings, scrolling down and tapping Sounds & Haptics (or Sounds), and tapping Ringtone.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Creating Ringtones in Music/iTunes

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1
Open Music. If you have a Mac running macOS Catalina or later, you can create ringtones using the Music app. It looks like a pair of white musical notes on a magenta background.^{[3]
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- If you’re using a PC or a Mac running Mojave or earlier, you’ll need to use iTunes instead. The process is basically the same.
Scroll through your music library until you find the song you want to turn into a ringtone. It will need to be a song that you’ve purchased rather than a song you have access to via an Apple Music subscription. If it’s stored in the cloud, download it to your computer.
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Play the song. Listen through the section of the song that you want to turn into a ringtone, making a note of the beginning and ending times of the ringtone section.
- Your ringtone can't be longer than 30 seconds.
Click the song once to select it.
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Click •••. You’ll see this button to the right of the song’s name. This will open a pop-up menu.
- In iTunes, click Edit at the top left side of the app window instead.
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Click Get Info. Doing so opens a new window.
- In iTunes, this option may be called Song Info instead.
It's at the top of the new window.
Both are in the middle of the options tab.
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Change the "start" and "stop" times. In the "start" box, type in the time at which you want to start your ringtone, then type the end time into the "stop" text box.
- Your selection can't be longer than 30 seconds, so make sure that the time from the "start" box to the "stop" box doesn't exceed 30 seconds.
It's at the bottom of the window.
If the song became de-selected, click it again to select it.
It's in the middle of the File menu. A pop-out menu will appear.
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Click Create AAC Version. It's in the "Convert" pop-out menu. Doing so creates a copy of your song that is the length of the "start" time to the "stop" time. If you don't see the Create AAC Version option, first do the following:
- Click Edit (Windows) or Music (Mac).
- Click Settings... (or Preferences).
- Click Import Settings.... You may need to select the Files tab to find it.
- Click the "Import Using" drop-down box, then click AAC Encoder.
- Click OK twice.
Click once the ringtone file (e.g., the shorter version of the song) to select it.
Click the AAC version of the song, click File, and click either Show in Windows Explorer (Windows) or Show in Finder (Mac). Doing so opens the folder in which the ringtone file is stored.
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Change the ringtone's file extension to M4R. At this point, the ringtone is currently an M4A file, which is not compatible with your iPhone's ringtones. You can change it to a true ringtone file by doing the following:
- Windows — Enable file extension-viewing by clicking View at the top of File Explorer and checking the "File name extensions" box. Right-click the ringtone file, click Rename, then replace ".m4a" with ".m4r" (e.g., a file named "yeet.m4a" would become "yeet.m4r"). Press ↵ Enter, then click OK when prompted.
- Mac — Click the file once to select it, then click it again to edit its name. Select the ".m4a" section of the file, then type in ".m4r" to replace it (e.g., a file named "yeet.m4a" would become "yeet.m4r"). Press ⏎ Return, then click Use .m4r when prompted.
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Add the ringtone to your iPhone. To add the ringtone to your iPhone, connect the iPhone to your computer with a USB cable. Open Music (or iTunes) and click your iPhone in the app sidebar. Drag your ringtone from its location on your computer into the device window in Music.
- You can also open your iPhone in Finder on a Mac and drag and drop the ringtone file into the General tab.
- To find the ringtone on your phone, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone. You should see it at the top of your list of available ringtones along with any other downloaded or purchased tones.
- In iTunes, you’ll need to click your iPhone in the menu bar to expand some options, then click on either Music or Tones. Drag and drop or copy and paste the ringtone file into one of those areas on your device.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Creating Ringtones in GarageBand

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1
Open your iPhone's GarageBand app. Tap the GarageBand app icon, which resembles a white electric guitar on an orange background.
- If you don't have GarageBand installed, you can download it from the App Store for free.
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Tap ＋. It's in the top-right corner of the screen.
- If GarageBand opens to a project, first tap the "Back" button in the top-left corner of the screen.
- If you instead see a list of folders and no ＋ in the top-right corner, tap Recents in the bottom-left corner of the screen before tapping ＋.
Swipe left or right until you find this option, then tap it to open a new Audio Recorder project.
This stack of horizontal bars is in the upper-left side of the screen. A horizontal bar will appear on-screen; this bar represents a new audio track.
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Tap +. It's in the top-right corner of the screen.
- This is different than the large ＋ icon is in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
This is in the middle of the screen. Doing so opens the track's settings.
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Change the "Manual" option from "8" to "30". Do so by tapping the upward-facing arrow above the "8" until the text box reads "30".
- This will ensure that your track isn't longer than 30 seconds.
It's in the top-right corner of the screen.
This loop-shaped icon is in the upper-right side of the screen. A new menu will appear.
It's in the top-right corner of the menu.
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Tap and drag the song you want to use to the timeline. Tap the Songs heading, then tap and drag the song you want to use to the bottom of the screen and release it there.
- The song must be stored on your iPhone's storage and not just saved in your iCloud library. You’ll also need to use a song that you have purchased, not one that is available through your Apple Music subscription.
- The titles of songs that are unavailable will be grayed out in the list.
Drag the left-hand bar right or left to the point at which you want to begin the song, then drag the right-hand bar left or right to select the point at which you want to end the song.
Tap and drag the song to the left until the song's far-left edge is touching the left-hand side of the screen.
It's in the top-left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
This option is in the drop-down menu. Doing so saves your song as a new project on the Recents tab.
Tap and hold the song for at least one second, then release it. This will prompt a menu to appear above the song.
It's in the menu. You might need to scroll down to see it. The Share menu will open.
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Tap Ringtone. This is the bell-shaped icon in the middle of the screen.
- If warned that your song needs to be shortened, tap Continue on the prompt before proceeding.
Tap the "NAME OF THE RINGTONE" text box at the top of the screen, then replace "My Song" with whatever you want to name your ringtone. Tap Done when you’re finished.
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Tap Export. It's in the top-right corner of the screen. Your iPhone will add the ringtone to the ringtones library.
- This may take a few minutes.
- When the process is complete, you can tap OK to save your ringtone, or tap Use sound as… to set it right away.
  - This popup menu will give you the option to set the tone as your default ring tone, your default text tone, or a custom tone for a specific contact.
Set the ringtone. Once the ringtone has been added to your iPhone, you can select it as a ringtone in the Ringtone section of the Sounds & Haptics (or Sounds) menu in Settings.

Community Q&A

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Question

How can I make a song my ringtone for free?

Community Answer

Find the song on YouTube and download it with an MP3 downloader (you can just search for one). After that you have to copy it to your phone. If you have an iPhone it is a bit trickier, because you have to copy it to iTunes and then plug your phone in and copy it to your phone (with an Android you can just copy it from where it downloaded straight onto your phone). Then go to your ring tones, select "custom ring tones" and choose the file you downloaded.

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Does the iPhone come with a ringtone?

Community Answer

Yes. It comes with a default ringtone and a bunch of other free ringtones to choose from.

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Question

How do I download a song to my iPhone ringtones?

Community Answer

You will need access to iTunes. You will have to purchase a song to use it as a ringtone. If it is not on the App Store, then use iTunes on a computer or Mac to download a song onto your phone. If it is on your phone's iTunes, then you can set it as your ringtone.

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Tips

If you purchase a ringtone and then remove it from your iPhone, you can find it by opening the iTunes Store app, tapping More, tapping Purchased, and tapping Tones. You can also go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone and tap Download All Purchased Tones.

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