Your Android ringtone is usually buried in the sound settings, and the exact menu changes by phone brand. You can switch to a built-in ringtone, use a local MP3, set a special sound for one contact, or change app call sounds such as WhatsApp.
Change the default ringtone in Settings
The most common cause of ringtone confusion is that Android brands use different labels for the same sound menu. Open Settings, tap Sound & vibration, then tap Ringtone. Pick the ringtone you want, then tap Save.
On a Pixel phone or Pixel Tablet, this changes the ringtone for normal incoming phone calls. If your Android phone uses Google's Phone app, open Phone, tap More, then use Settings > Sounds and vibration > Phone ringtone to pick from the available ringtones.
Pick a Samsung Galaxy ringtone
On a Samsung Galaxy phone, open Settings > Sounds and vibration > Ringtone. Tap a ringtone to preview it, make sure it is selected, then tap Back.
To use a song stored on the phone, open Settings > Sounds and vibration > Ringtone, tap Add, select the song, choose whether to use Play selected highlights only, then tap Done.
Spotify and other streaming-service tracks cannot be set as Samsung ringtones. The song needs to be a physical file stored on the phone.
Use an MP3 or song as your ringtone
This fixes a ringtone that is not showing in the built-in list. Connect your Android phone to your computer with a USB cable. In the window that opens, find the Ringtones folder on the phone.
Copy your MP3 file into the Ringtones folder. Disconnect the phone from the computer, then open Settings > Sound & vibration > Ringtone and select the file you copied.
Set a ringtone from Files by Google
Files by Google can set a local audio file as your ringtone without using a computer.
- 1.Open Files by Google.
- 2.Under Categories, scroll to Audio.
- 3.Find and play the audio file you want to use.
- 4.Tap More, then tap Set as ringtone.
- 5.Tap Continue, then turn on Allow modify system settings.
Give one contact a special ringtone
Open Contacts and tap the person you want to change. On Pixel and many Android phones using Google Contacts, tap More, then tap Set ringtone. Choose the ringtone you want for that contact, then tap Save.
On Samsung Galaxy, open the contact, tap More, then tap Change ringtone/vibration > Ringtone, choose the sound, tap Back, then tap Save. Samsung can’t set custom ringtones for contacts stored only on the SIM card. For priority callers on Samsung, Contacts can also show Ring even when set to Vibrate or Mute, which changes ring behavior for that contact.
Follow Motorola, Xiaomi, and Sony paths
This fixes ringtone menus that do not match the standard Android or Samsung path. On Motorola, go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Phone ringtone when the phone has one SIM, or tap the ringtone for the SIM you want to change on a dual-SIM phone.
To use a song on Motorola, tap Add ringtone at the bottom of the ringtone list, tap the Menu (three-line) icon, tap Audio, then choose a song stored on the phone. On Xiaomi, Redmi, or POCO, open Settings > Sound & vibration > Ringtone, then select the ringtone you want.
On Sony Xperia, go to Settings > Sound or Sound and vibration > Phone ringtone, select a ringtone, then tap OK.
Choose separate ringtones for dual SIMs
Dual-SIM ringtone settings depend on the phone brand. On Samsung Galaxy, use Settings > Sounds and vibration > Ringtone, choose SIM 1 or SIM 2, tap the Add icon, select the music file, then tap Done.
On Motorola, open Settings > Sound & vibration, then tap the ringtone for the SIM you want to change. Choose a ringtone from the list, or use Add ringtone > Menu (the three-line icon) > Audio for a stored song.
On Xiaomi 14T, go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Ringtone > Choose local ringtones, choose from Recorder, Audio files, or Music, select the audio file, tap OK, tap Apply, then select the SIM card.
On some Xiaomi and Redmi phones, open Settings > Sound & vibration > Ringtone, turn on Single SIM settings, then select the SIM card to set its ringtone.
Change WhatsApp and app call sounds
Use the app's notification category when call sounds come from an app instead of the phone dialer.
- 1.Open Settings > Notifications > App notifications.
- 2.Tap the app name.
- 3.Open Notification categories.
- 4.Choose the call-related category.
- 5.Tap Sound, choose a new sound, then tap Save.
On Samsung Galaxy, WhatsApp call sounds use Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Notifications > Call Notifications > Sound, then tap the sound you want.
For a specific WhatsApp contact or group, open the chat, tap the contact or group name, open Notifications, then set the custom ringtone or notification tone options shown for that chat.
Remove or undo a custom ringtone
This fixes a ringtone list cluttered with old audio files or a ringtone app you no longer use. To remove a custom audio file, open Files by Google and select the ringtone or audio file. Tap Trash, then tap Move x files to Trash.
To delete it permanently, open Menu > Trash and select the file. Tap Delete, then tap Delete again.
To uninstall a ringtone app, open Google Play Store, tap the Profile icon, then go to Manage apps & devices > Manage, select the app, and tap Uninstall. Deleting a custom ringtone file may make your phone fall back to another ringtone or a default sound.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use any song as my Android ringtone?
You can use a song file stored locally on your phone, such as an MP3. Samsung says Spotify and other streaming-service tracks cannot be set as ringtones.
Can I change the ringtone with Google Assistant or Gemini?
Android’s supported hands-free route is Voice Access. Enable Voice Access, then use voice commands to open Settings and tap the ringtone controls on screen.
Why does my work phone have different ringtone options?
A Pixel phone with a work profile can show separate work-profile sounds under Settings > Sound & vibration > Advanced > Work profile sounds. Managed devices may limit what you can change.
Do volume buttons change my ringtone?
No. Volume buttons do not choose a different ringtone sound. What they adjust depends on what the phone is doing, and they change media volume when nothing else is playing. Press a volume button to open the volume panel, then set Ring Volume there or tap Ring, Vibrate, or Mute.