Easy ways to create custom ringtones for Android and iPhone

In a world where everyone uses the same app to communicate, it’s good to stand out. Now that we are more dependent on our devices than ever before, why not make the most of it?

Emoji are tried and true but there isn’t much in the way of personality. You can create your own avatars to share with friends, family and even your coworkers. Tap or click here to see four free avatar apps.

Your phone comes with a number of ringtones that all sound the same. Tired of Pachelbel’s canon? You can create your own custom ringtones without too much difficulty, although it’s a bit more work to get them on your phone. We’ll show you how to do it.

The first step is to create the ringtone yourself, and we found AVCware Ringtone Maker to be a solid option. This free desktop tool can convert video and audio files to MP3, WAV, M4R, M4A, OGG and AMR formats.

You can then load these as ringtones in most smartphones. You can add a fading effect to the intro and outro of your new ringtone and review it before applying it.

itunes machine
Don’t let the name fool you. This site works for both iPhone and Android. To access the name ringtone generator, visit itunemachine.com/name-ringtone/maker. This is a unique way to tweak ringtones. You can upload a ringtone or choose one from the library. Below that, type your name and select a message from the dropdown list such as “You have a call.”

Next, choose a voice and then choose Create ringtone to download the file to your Android or iOS device. The ringtone will prompt you to answer your phone with a message with the song you selected. Want to keep things private? Tap or click here for four tips on customizing your Apple AirPods.

ringtone maker

Ringtone Maker is a site that lets you upload AAC, FLAC, M4A, MP3, OGG, WAV and WMA sound/music files to make your own ringtone. Once it’s there, select the start and stop times and preview it with the play button. Choose M4R for iPhones and MP3 for most other phones. When you’re ready, select Make Ringtone.

If you’re not sure what you want, check out these nine free ringtone sites for inspiration.

You have your ringtone, so what’s next?
Creating the perfect ringtone is only half the job. Now you have to install it on your phone so that you can enjoy yourself and the world. Piracy is bad for everyone involved, so make sure whatever audio file you work with is okay to use.

Set a Custom Ringtone on Your iPhone
When it comes to custom ringtones on iOS things get tricky. One way to get the job done is to use a computer and iTunes.

First, check your iTunes settings. Open the Preferences menu and go to General > Import Settings. Make sure that Import Using is set to AAC Encoder.

Once you have the file loaded on your computer, open iTunes and choose File > Add to Library and locate the file.
Now that it is uploaded, click on File > Convert > Create AAC Version.

If the file isn’t an .m4r file, change it by highlighting it and going to File > Show in Windows Explorer (for Windows) or Show in Finder (for macOS). Change the extension to .m4r and keep the window open.

Now connect your iPhone to your computer and select it in iTunes and go to Tones. Select and drag your .m4r file from the open window into the Tones pane. Let me upload it.

Finally, open Settings > Sounds & Haptics and select your new ringtone.

Set a custom ringtone on your Android phone

Things are a bit more straightforward for Android custom ringtones.

First, you need to get ringtones on your phone. You can email it to yourself or use Google Drive or Dropbox, or simply connect your phone to a computer and drag the file to the ringtones folder.

Once the file is on your phone, restart it so that it recognizes the new file.

Go to Settings > Sounds > Phone ringtone. On Samsung phones, you’ll access Settings > Sounds & vibrations > Ringtones. Find and select your new ringtone.

this much only! You now have some brand new ringtones on your device that will make you stand out from the crowd. Go ahead and add as many to your device as you need to set a custom ringtone for the people in your contact list. It will tell you who is calling without even looking at your phone. Very good.