AndroidAnswers

How do I change the ringtone on Android?

By the AndroidAnswers Editorial Team · Updated

About 4 minutes · Sound & calls

Steps written for Android 16 and 17, including Samsung One UI 8 and 9, Google Pixel, and Motorola. Menu names can vary a little by model and carrier.

Illustration of a phone showing a ringing bell, with a music note on one side and a person outline on the other

Open Settings, tap Sound & vibration (Sounds and vibration on Samsung), then tap Ringtone or Phone ringtone. Tap a sound to hear it, pick the one you like, and tap Save or go back. To give one person their own ringtone, open them in the Contacts app and look for Set ringtone.

Steps to check

Show steps for:

  1. Open the ringtone setting

    Open the Settings app (the gear icon). Tap Sound & vibration, then tap Ringtone or Phone ringtone. If your phone holds two SIM cards, you may see one ringtone for each SIM, so pick the one for the number people call you on.

    • Samsung Settings → Sounds and vibration → Ringtone. On dual-SIM phones, tap SIM 1 or SIM 2 first.
    • Pixel Settings → Sound & vibration → Ringtone (some versions say Phone ringtone).
    • Motorola Settings → Sound & vibration → Phone ringtone.

  2. Listen, pick one, and save

    Tap a ringtone to hear a short preview. Try a few until you find one that is easy for you to hear. When the one you want is selected, tap Save if you see it. On Samsung, there is no Save button: leave the one you like selected and tap Back. That is all it takes. The next call will use the new sound.

  3. Use a song you have saved on the phone

    You can use your own music, but it has to be a music file stored on the phone. Songs that only play inside a streaming app cannot be used as a ringtone. At the bottom or top of the ringtone list, look for Add, a plus sign, or Add ringtone, then pick the song. If you have the song on a computer, you can connect the phone with a USB cable and copy the music file (MP3) into the phone's Ringtones folder, then it shows up in the list.

    • Samsung On the Ringtone screen, tap Add (the plus sign), choose the song, and tap Done. Turn on Play selected highlights only if you want just part of the song.
    • Motorola Scroll to the bottom of the list, tap Add ringtone, then Audio, and select the song stored on your phone.

  4. Give one person their own ringtone

    A different ringtone for family or a close friend lets you know who is calling without looking. Open the Contacts app and tap the person's name. Tap More (three dots) and choose Set ringtone, pick a sound, and tap Save. Names differ a little by phone.

    • Samsung Contacts → tap the contact → More → Change ringtone/vibration → Ringtone. Choose a sound, tap Back, then Save. Contacts saved only on the SIM card cannot have their own ringtone.
    • Pixel Contacts → tap the contact → More → Set ringtone → choose → Save.
    • Motorola Contacts → tap the name → scroll down and tap Contact ringtone (on some models: menu → Set ringtone).

  5. Change the text and notification sound separately

    The ringtone is only for phone calls. Texts and app alerts use a separate sound. To change it, go to Settings → Sound & vibration → Default notification sound, choose a sound, and tap Save. Some apps, like your messaging app, also have their own sound setting inside the app.

  6. If you still do not hear the new ringtone

    Press a volume button and open the volume menu (the three dots or the small arrow next to the slider). Check that Ring volume is turned up and that the phone is set to Ring, not Vibrate or Mute. Also check that Do Not Disturb is off.

Normal vs. not

Usually normal

The new ringtone plays on the next call, while texts still use their own notification sound. A song may start from the beginning each time unless you chose highlights only.

Worth a closer look

Calls never ring at all, even with Ring volume up and Do Not Disturb off. That is a different problem from the ringtone choice; see our guide on why a phone is not ringing.

What people are saying

Common questions

Can I use a song from Spotify or another streaming app?
Not directly. Samsung's help says the song must be a music file downloaded onto the phone, and streaming songs cannot be set as a ringtone. A song you bought and downloaded, or copied over from a computer, will work.
Will a contact's own ringtone ring when my phone is on vibrate?
It depends on the phone. On Samsung phones, the contact's ringtone screen has a switch called Ring even when set to Vibrate or Mute, which lets that one person still ring through.
Does changing the ringtone change my text message sound?
No. The ringtone is only for calls. Change Default notification sound in Sound & vibration settings, or the sound inside your messaging app, for texts.

Sources we checked

Menu names can differ by phone brand and Android version. See our editorial policy for how we check steps.