Mobile Phones Ringtones How to Change the Default Ringtone on Your iPhone Personalize your iPhone for your needs by Sam Costello Writer Sam Costello has been writing about tech since 2000. His writing has appeared in publications such as CNN.com, PC World, InfoWord, and many others. our editorial process Facebook Twitter Sam Costello Updated on December 30, 2020 reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Lifewire Tech Review Board Member Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries. our review board Article reviewed on Apr 18, 2020 Michael Barton Heine Jr Ringtones iPhone & iOS Android Samsung Google Ringtones Tweet Share Email What to Know Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone. Find the ringtone you want to use and tap it.You can use a third-party app to create a custom ringtone, then set it as your default using the above method.Change your phone's vibrations by going to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone > Vibration. Choose a preset or custom vibration. This article explains how to change the default ringtone on an iPhone. It's one of the easiest ways to customize your device. Instructions article apply to iOS 12 and up, but the steps and functionality are similar for older versions of iOS. How to Change the Default iPhone Ringtone To change your iPhone's default ringtone, follow these steps: Tap the Settings app > Sounds & Haptics (on some older devices, tap Sounds). In the Sounds and Vibration Patterns section, tap Ringtone. On the Ringtone screen, tap a ringtone. Each ringtone you tap will play so you can hear what it sounds like. The iPhone comes with dozens of ringtones pre-loaded. If you want to buy new ringtones, tap Tone Store (on some older models, tap Store in the upper-right corner, then tap Tones). If you've never downloaded and installed ringtones, learn how to buy ringtones on the iPhone. Alert Tones are normally used for alarms and other notifications but can be used as ringtones. When you find the ringtone you want to use as the default, tap it so that the checkmark appears next to it. To go back to the previous screen, tap Sounds & Haptics in the upper-left corner or click the Home button to go to the home screen. Your ringtone choice is saved automatically. Whenever you get a call, the ringtone you selected will play unless you assigned individual ringtones to callers. If you've set a specific ringtone for an individual, that ringtone plays instead. Just remember to listen for that sound, and not a ringing phone, so you don't miss any calls. How to Set Different Ringtones for Different People on iPhone By default, the same ringtone plays no matter who calls you. But you can change that and make a different sound play for different people. This is fun and helpful: you can know who's calling without looking at the screen. Learn how in How to Set Unique Ringtones for Each Contact on Your iPhone. How to Create Custom iPhone Ringtones Want to use a favorite song as a ringtone instead of one of the iPhone's built-in sounds? You can! You just need a little bit of software to create your own ringtone. Find the song you want to use and get an app to create the ringtone. After you install the app, create the ringtone and add it to your iPhone. How to Change Vibrations on iPhone You can also change the vibration pattern the iPhone uses when you get a call. This variation can be helpful when your ringer is turned off but you want to know you're getting a call. It's also useful for people with hearing impairments. To change the default vibration pattern: Tap Settings. Tap Sounds & Haptics (or Sounds). Move either the Vibrate on Ring or Vibrate on Silent (or both) to on/green. In the Sounds and Vibration Patterns section, tap Ringtone. Tap Vibration. Tap the pre-loaded options to test them or tap Create New Vibration to make your own. To select a vibration pattern, tap it so that a checkmark appears next to it. Your choice is automatically saved. Just like ringtones, different vibration patterns can be set for individual contacts. Follow the same steps as setting ringtones and look for the Vibration option. Problems with ringtones can lead to an iPhone not ringing when calls come in. But there are a number of other things that can cause that problem. Learn how to solve them in How to Fix the iPhone Not Ringing Problem. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit