How to Change the Notification Sound on Your Android Phone

Every Android phone comes with its own set of default notification sounds, but if you’ve grown quite bored with them over time, you’ll be interested to know that it’s possible to change them. It’s quite a straightforward process.

Whether you’re craving some variety or just want to differentiate your phone’s sounds from other similar models, we detailed below a series of methods to change the notification sound on your Android phone and make it stand out.

Also read: How to Manage Your Notifications on Android

Change Default Global Notification Sounds on Android 12

If your phone is running Google’s latest mobile operating system, Android 12, the following instructions show how to change your phone’s default notification sound.

1. Open the Settings app on your device.
2. Select “Sound & Vibration.”
3. Scroll down and top on the “Default notification sound” option.
4. Browse through the available folders and select your favorite sound.
5. You can also select the “My Sounds” folder where you should find songs you’ve downloaded or transferred on your smartphone. They can be set as notification sounds as well.

Also read: Should You Use an Older Android Phone?

Change Default Global Notification Sounds on Older Android Versions

One of the major advantages of using Android is that you can tweak almost everything about it, including the device’s default global notification sounds. These are the sounds you hear when you receive a text message on your phone or an alert from an app. If you have a phone running Android 8.0 to 11, follow these steps to jazz up your notification sounds.

1. Open Settings on your handset.
2. Scroll down until you find “Apps & Notifications.”
3. Tap on “Notifications.”
4. Scroll down until you find “Advanced.”
5. Tap on “Default notification sounds” toward the bottom.

You have access to a library of sounds here and can pick your favorite. Note that these options will vary based on the device you own.

Change Notification Sounds by App

The majority of apps don’t have an in-app option for changing the notification sounds, and most make use of the default alert tone of your device. Luckily, you are able to customize the notification sound for individual apps from the Notifications settings (applies to Android 8 and up)

Note: this method works for the majority of apps on your phone, including Instagram, Spotify, and 9Gag.

1. Open Settings on your handset.
2. Scroll down until you find “Apps & Notifications.”
3. Check the “Recently Opened Apps.” If “Messages” is not there, tap on the “See All Apps” option until you find it and tap on it.
4. Tap on “Notifications -> Instagram direct -> Advanced -> Sound.” (We are using Instagram as an example here.)
5. Go to the default sound library, where you can select which notification sound to assign to Instagram.

Since Instagram sends different kinds of alerts (not only for Instagram direct messages), including Direct Video Chat, First Posts, and Stories, it’s possible to set different notification sounds for each in the Notifications section.

Apps with built-in notification sound option

Some apps offer built-in options for changing the notification sounds. You will be able to change the notification sound directly from within the app. Here’s how to do it in a few select apps.

Gmail

Follow these instructions to easily change the Facebook app’s notification sound without going through Settings.

1. Open the gmail app on your phone.
2. Tap on the hamburger menu in the upper left corner of the display.
3. Select “Settings” at the bottom.
4. Tap on your Gmail account.
5. Select “Notification sounds” and then on “Notification sounds” again.
6. You’ll be taken to the app’s notification dashboard.
7. Tap on “Sound” to select a new notification sound for your app.

Facebook

The Facebook app offers direct access to your default library of notification sounds and adds a few of its own for good measure. Follow these steps to change it up.

1. Open the Facebook app on your phone.
2. Tap on the hamburger menu located in the top-right corner.
3. Scroll down until you find “Settings & Privacy.”
4. Choose “Settings” from the drop-down menu.
5. Scroll down to the “Notifications” section.
6. Select “Notification Settings.”
7. Find the “Where You Receive Notifications” section at the bottom.
8. Tap on “Push -> Tone.”
9. Choose your favorite notification sound from the list that appears.

Google Messages App

If you’re using Google Messages for your messaging needs, follow these steps to quickly change the notification sounds for the app.

1. Open the Google Messages app on your device.
2. Tap on the three dots in the upper-right corner of the display.
3. Select “Settings -> Notifications.”
4. Scroll down, then tap on “Incoming messages.”
5. Tap on Sound and select the new tune you’d like to hear when a new message arrives.

How to Add Custom Notification Sounds

What if you can’t find a notification sound that truly suits you? In that case, you may want to give custom notification sounds a try.

You can do this in one of two ways: you can either use an app like Zedge or create a custom notification sound from an audio file you have on your phone, which can be your favorite song or a short recording you’ve made.

Change Notification Sounds with Zedge

Before you install Zedge, keep in mind that the app is only free to use for a period of three days. After that, you are invited to select between the two paid plans to continue to enjoy the features. Also, in the free version, you won’t be able to take advantage of the app’s full sound library. Nevertheless, you can still use the trial to figure out if the app is a good match for you.

1. Open the Zedge app on your phone.
2. Tap on the hamburger menu in the upper-left corner of the screen.
3. Select “Notification sounds.”
4. Browse the library and try out the various notification sounds.
5. When you find one you like, tap on it.
6. Click on the “Set Notification” button. The tune will become your global notification sound, meaning you won’t be able to associate it with a specific app. You can also set it as a contact ringtone, ringtone, or alarm sound.

Note: Zedge requests permission to modify your system’s settings. If you’re not comfortable doing that, you may want to use the alternative to set your custom notification sounds.

Set a Custom Notification Sound Using Media Files

If you’d like to use something you’ve recorded or an audio file as your custom notification sound, you can. It’s possible to set it directly from Settings.

Note: if you’re looking to use a larger audio file, it’s recommended that you cut the track and use the resulting sample as your new notification sound.

1. Connect your phone to your laptop or desktop computer via USB cable.
2. Double-click to access your phone’s Internal Storage.
3. Find the Notifications folder and open it.
4. Drag and drop your media file to this folder to copy it.
5. When you’re done uploading the media file, go back to your phone and set the new global notification sound.

6. Open Settings on your phone.
7. Scroll down until you find “Apps & Notifications.”
8. Tap on “Notifications.”
9. Scroll down until you find “Advanced.”
10. Tap on “Default notification sound” and select “Ringtone from internal storage.”
11. The media file you just added should be at the top of the list.
12. Tap on it to set it.

You can also set the audio track as the notification sound for individual apps via your handset’s Notification Settings.

Connect your phone with your computer and receive notifications on your Windows PC or learn how to access your notification history on your phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I turn the notification sound off temporarily?

Yes, you can. Android has baked in a solution to help you focus and be less distracted by notifications sounds. It’s called Do Not Disturb mode, and you can learn how to take advantage of it by following this tutorial right here.

2. I’m experiencing delayed notifications. What can I do?

If you’re having trouble getting your notifications to show up on time on your Android, try this fix to get rid of the problem.

3. How can I hide notifications from my lockscreen?

Don’t want your notifications exposed to anyone who picks up your phone? This tutorial will walk you through the steps to have your notifications hidden from your lockscreen.