How to Create a Custom Ringtone for iPhone

To create a custom ringtone for iPhone on iOS 26 or later, save an unprotected MP3 or M4A of 30 seconds or less in Files, touch and hold it, then tap Share > Use as Ringtone. For a longer song, a new recording, or audio that needs editing, use GarageBand to trim and export a ringtone. The current GarageBand download also requires iOS 26 or later.

Install a short audio clip from Files

Start here when your sound is already an unprotected MP3 or M4A of 30 seconds or less. Save the clip in Files, then locate it in its folder. If you downloaded the audio but cannot locate it, find your downloads on iPhone before continuing.

On iOS 26 or later, touch and hold the file, tap Share, then tap Use as Ringtone. Open Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone and select the imported sound if necessary. If the share action is missing, use the GarageBand import and export steps below.

Import and export a ringtone in GarageBand

Install GarageBand from the App Store if you need it. Touch and hold the GarageBand Home Screen icon, then tap Create New Audio Recording to start a project. Tap Tracks. Before you import a long song or audio file, tap the Song Section button on the right edge of the ruler, tap the Inspector button next to the section name, turn on Automatic, then tap Done; otherwise, GarageBand imports only the portion that fits the current song section. Then tap the track’s instrument icon and open Loops Browser.

For audio saved locally or in iCloud, tap Files > Browse items from the Files app and choose the file. Drag the audio to the beginning of Tracks view. This gives you an audio region whose edges you can adjust to choose your ringtone.

For a song in your Music library, open Music in Loops Browser instead. Choose a downloaded, unprotected track and drag it into Tracks view. Eligible purchased or synced music can work, but protected subscription downloads cannot be used.

Drag the audio region’s edges to keep the section you want, up to 30 seconds. Place the retained audio at the beginning of Tracks view so the project starts with your chosen sound. When the edit is ready, tap Navigation, then choose My Songs to return to the project browser.

Touch and hold your project, then tap Share > Ringtone. Enter a name that will be easy to recognize and tap Export. If GarageBand offers to shorten the project automatically, tap Continue. The maximum exported ringtone length is 30 seconds, so trim the project before exporting if you want control over the exact section.

After export, tap Use sound as, then choose Standard Ringtone to use it for calls. Choose Standard Text Tone for messages, or Assign to contact and select a person for a contact-specific sound. Use this same export sequence after creating a recording or composition in GarageBand.

Record or compose your own sound

To record your voice, an instrument, or another sound, touch and hold the GarageBand icon and tap Create New Audio Recording. Tap Record, make the sound into the microphone, then tap Play to stop recording. You can use the built-in microphone or a compatible connected external microphone. If you want to record a sound longer than the current song section, set that section to Automatic in the song section controls first.

Edit the recording in Tracks view to retain the part you want. Keep the finished selection within the 30-second ringtone limit, then tap Navigation and choose My Songs. Touch and hold the project and follow the Share > Ringtone export sequence above.

To compose a musical tone, open a GarageBand Touch Instrument, tap Record, and play it. Tap Play to stop, then arrange or trim the recorded regions in Tracks view. Return through Navigation, choose My Songs, and export the project as a ringtone.

To build a tone from Apple Loops, tap Loop Browser in Tracks view. Find a loop using Instruments, Genres, Descriptors, or the search field, then drag it to the beginning of the project. Arrange your short composition, return through Navigation, and choose My Songs before exporting it as a ringtone.

Prepare an existing Voice Memos recording

On iOS 27, open Voice Memos and select the recording you want to use. Tap More, then the Trim button, and position the yellow handles around the desired short section. Tap Trim, then Apply, then Done.

Tap Save as New Recording to keep the short edit as a separate recording. Select that recording, tap More > Share > Save to Files, choose a folder, and tap Save. Voice Memos exports M4A by default.

For an unprotected clip of 30 seconds or less, finish with the Files installation method above. Alternatively, import the saved recording into GarageBand and export it as a ringtone. Saving the recording to Files supplies the audio; complete one of those installation steps before selecting it for calls.

Use an editor for audio or video clips

For an alternative editing interface, install MusicToRingtone from the App Store. Choose a library song or import audio or video, then select the section with the circular slider. You can optionally add effects before saving.

On iOS 26 or later, tap Save > Ringtone file > Use as Ringtone. Protected Apple Music tracks are excluded. Although MusicToRingtone supports iOS 15.6 or later, systems before iOS 26 require its GarageBand handoff. Check that you already have a compatible GarageBand installation before choosing that route, since the current GarageBand download requires iOS 26 or later.

Choose where your ringtone plays

To select an installed tone on iOS 27, open Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone. Tap a sound to preview and select it; choosing a built-in sound replaces the active custom ringtone. For more help with selection, follow the steps to change your ringtone on iPhone.

To assign an installed custom tone to one person, open Contacts, select the person, and tap Edit > Ringtone. Choose your tone and save the contact changes. The contact’s Text Tone setting controls their message sound separately.

Fix import and export problems

If a Music library song will not import into GarageBand, check that it is downloaded and unprotected. Downloading a protected subscription track does not make it eligible. Choose an eligible purchased or synced track, an unprotected audio file, or your own recording instead.

For Files installation, check that the clip is an unprotected MP3 or M4A of 30 seconds or less and that your iPhone runs iOS 26 or later. If the clip is longer, import it into GarageBand, trim the section you want, and export it through Share > Ringtone. When export succeeds but the sound is not active, select it in Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone.

If you are cleaning up your audio afterward, distinguish the source file from the exported ringtone. Follow the steps to delete source files on iPhone for file cleanup. To remove a ringtone exported by GarageBand, use its Your Ringtones controls instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you delete a ringtone exported from GarageBand?

In GarageBand, open My Songs, touch and hold a song, then tap Share > Ringtone > Your Ringtones. Swipe left on the unwanted ringtone and tap Delete.

Can you move a GarageBand ringtone project from another iPhone?

You can transfer a compatible GarageBand project from another iPhone or iPad using AirDrop. On the source device, open My Songs, touch and hold the song, then tap Share > Project > AirDrop and select the nearby destination iPhone. Open the received project in GarageBand and export it as a ringtone on that iPhone.

Can you send source audio from a Windows computer?

You can transfer compatible source audio with Apple Devices for Windows over USB or an already configured Wi-Fi connection. Connect the iPhone, select it in Apple Devices, open Files, and drag the audio onto GarageBand. The file is then available in GarageBand on your iPhone, where you can import it, trim it, and export it as a ringtone.

Can you buy a finished ringtone instead of creating one?

On iOS 27, open iTunes Store and tap Tones to buy a finished ringtone where purchases are available. Browse or tap Search, select a tone to preview it, then tap its price to purchase. Availability varies by country or region.

Does exporting a Voice Memos recording preserve its layers and Spatial Audio?

By default, Apple says Voice Memos on iOS 27 exports recordings to Files in M4A format, so layered recordings are flattened and Spatial Audio becomes stereo. To keep layers or recording effects, tap Options > Editable when sharing, which exports the recording in QuickTime Audio format instead.