How to Change Your Ringtone on Android (Even to a Song)
To change your ringtone on Android, open Settings > Sound & vibration > Ringtone, tap a tone to hear it, and tap Save. On a Samsung Galaxy the path is Settings > Sounds and vibration > Ringtone, and you tap the back arrow to keep your choice. To use a song instead, tap the + (Add) button in that same list and pick an MP3 that's saved on the phone.
Quick answer: A ringtone on Android is just an audio file stored on the phone. Built-in tones are in Settings, your own files go in with the + button or the Files by Google app, and a single contact can get its own tone from the Contacts app. Songs that only live inside Spotify, YouTube Music, or another streaming app can't be used as ringtones, because they aren't real files on your phone.
How this was put together: on Nov 10, 2026 we read Google's Pixel sound settings help, Android sound help, Files by Google help, and Clock help, Samsung's US and UK ringtone pages, Android's supported media formats list, and the Android Open Source Project code that adds and plays ringtones. We didn't test on a device for this guide, so the paths below come from those official pages, and menu names can differ slightly by phone and software version.
How to change your ringtone on Android
Every Android phone keeps the ringtone in its sound settings; only the menu names change by brand. Pick the steps for your phone below. If your phone isn't listed, open Settings and type "ringtone" into the search bar at the top.
Google Pixel and phones with Google's settings
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Sound & vibration > Ringtone. Some versions call it Phone ringtone.
- Pick a category, then tap a ringtone to preview it.
- Tap Save.
A shortcut works too. Google's Pixel guide says you can press a volume button, tap the menu next to the slider, and then tap Settings to land in the same sound screen.
While you're on the Ringtone screen, Google's help points to a Vibration option there, where you can pick a pattern, set the strength, or choose Matches ringtone so the buzz follows the beat of your tone.
Samsung Galaxy
- Open Settings and tap Sounds and vibration.
- Tap Ringtone. On a dual-SIM Galaxy, Samsung's UK guide says you'll choose SIM 1 or SIM 2 first, so each number can ring differently.
- Tap a tone to preview it.
- With the tone selected, tap Back. There's no Save button; Samsung's page says going back sets it.
Samsung also notes that the built-in tones on a Galaxy can differ depending on your carrier, so a friend's Galaxy on another network may show a different list.
How to set a song as your ringtone
To use a song, the audio has to be a file saved on your phone, such as an MP3 you bought, downloaded, or recorded. There are three ways to turn it into a ringtone, and the first is the quickest.
Use the + button in the ringtone list
On a Galaxy: go to Settings > Sounds and vibration > Ringtone, tap + (Add), and tap Allow if asked. Pick the song, then tap Done. If the song isn't under the Tracks tab, Samsung says to tap Folders and find it there.
Samsung's picker has one extra: a Play selected highlights only switch. Off, the song plays from the start. On, the phone plays only "certain parts" of the song, which the phone picks; Samsung doesn't say you can choose them yourself.
On a Pixel: open Settings > Sound & vibration > Ringtone, look for your own sounds (Google's support team has called this section My Sounds), tap +, pick the audio file, and tap Save.
Here's a detail most guides miss. In Android's own sound picker code (RingtoneManager), adding a file this way doesn't just point to it. Android copies the file into the phone's Ringtones folder and registers that copy. So once a song is added through the picker, moving or deleting the original in Downloads shouldn't break your ringtone. Brands can change this code, so on a Galaxy or another brand, keep the original until you've confirmed the tone still plays.
Use the Files by Google app
Google's Files app can set a ringtone straight from the file, without going through Settings. Google's steps:
- Open Files by Google.
- Under Categories, scroll to Audio.
- Find and play the file you want.
- Tap More > Set as ringtone.
- On the permission prompt, tap Continue and turn on Allow modify system settings.
You'll see a message that the ringtone is set. That permission is what lets an app other than Settings change a system sound, so it's normal to see it the first time.
Copy the file from a computer
Google's Android help says to connect the phone with a USB cable, open the phone in your computer's file window, and copy the MP3 into the Ringtones folder. Then disconnect and pick the song from your ringtone list. Copy alarm sounds into Alarms and notification sounds into Notifications instead, because Android keeps the three in separate folders and lists each type only in its own picker. If the phone doesn't appear on your computer, our guide to fixing an Android phone that won't show up on a PC covers the USB mode setting and cable problems.
Want only the chorus? Google's ringtone screen has no trimming tool, so cut the clip first. A free audio editor such as Audacity on a computer can export a short MP3, which you then copy to the phone.
Which audio files work as Android ringtones?
MP3 is the safest format for an Android ringtone, because it's the one both Google and Samsung name. Android itself decodes many more formats, but the brand's picker decides what shows up, and even Samsung's own regional pages disagree: the UK page lists MP3, WMA, AAC, and FLAC and says M4A files must be converted, while Samsung India's page lists MP3, WAV, AAC, and MP4.
Under the hood, Android's picker accepts any file whose type is audio, plus Ogg files. A video file or a file with a wrong extension gets rejected, and stock Android shows the message "Unable to add custom ringtone."
| File type | Android can play it | Samsung names it for ringtones | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| MP3 (.mp3) | Yes | Yes (UK and India pages) | Use it. Works almost everywhere. |
| AAC (.aac) and M4A (.m4a) | Yes | AAC yes; UK page says convert M4A | On a Galaxy, convert M4A to MP3 if it doesn't appear. |
| iPhone ringtone (.m4r) | Extension not listed | Not listed | Convert to MP3 before copying it over. |
| FLAC (.flac) | Yes | UK page yes | Fine, but large for a ringtone. |
| WAV (.wav) | Yes | India page yes | Works; files are big. |
| Ogg (.ogg) | Yes | Not listed | Works on stock Android pickers. |
| WMA (.wma) | Not on Android's list | UK page yes | Galaxy only. Use MP3 elsewhere. |
| Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music downloads | Locked to the app | No | Buy or download a real file instead. |
Coming from an iPhone? iPhone ringtones use the .m4r extension, which isn't on Android's format list, so convert any you want to keep to MP3 before copying them over. Our guide to moving from iPhone to Android covers what else stays behind.
Why streaming songs can't be ringtones, but can be alarms
Samsung says plainly that songs you play through Spotify or another streaming service can't be ringtones, because a subscription lets you listen, not own the file. Its US page adds that you need the actual song file downloaded on the phone, and a track saved for offline listening inside a streaming app isn't that. Alarms are different on Google's Clock app: its help page says you can wake up to a song from YouTube Music, Spotify, or Pandora (US only), though choosing a specific song needs a premium account, and free accounts get playlists or stations instead. So if you wanted your favorite streaming track to wake you up, that works; it just won't ring for calls.
How to set a ringtone for one contact
You can give one person their own ringtone from the Contacts app, so you know who's calling without looking. Everyone else keeps the main ringtone.
- Google Contacts (Pixel and many other phones): open Contacts, tap the person, tap More > Set ringtone, choose a tone, and tap Save.
- Samsung Contacts: open Contacts, tap the person, tap More > Change ringtone/vibration > Ringtone, allow any permissions it asks for, pick a tone, tap Back, and then tap Save.
If the option is missing on a Galaxy, check where the contact is saved. Samsung says you can't set a custom ringtone for a contact stored only on the SIM card. Move or copy the contact to your Google or Samsung account first, and the ringtone option appears.
How to change notification and alarm sounds
Notification and alarm sounds are separate settings from the ringtone, so changing one doesn't touch the others.
- Notification sound on a Pixel: Settings > Sound & vibration > Default notification sound, pick a sound, and tap Save. Google notes that many apps, such as Gmail, also let you set their own sound in the app's settings.
- Alarm sound in Google's Clock app: open Clock > Alarm, tap an alarm, and tap its current sound. Choose a built-in sound, tap Add new to use your own file, or on a Pixel tap Record new to record one in the Recorder app.
- Work profile: if you have a work profile, Google's Pixel help puts its sounds under Settings > Sound & vibration > Advanced > Work profile sounds.
One warning from Google's Clock help: if your ringtone is set to silent and vibration is off, your alarm won't go off. That's an easy one to miss if you picked "None" as a ringtone to keep the phone quiet.
Custom ringtone not working or keeps resetting? What to check
When a custom ringtone doesn't play, the phone usually can't reach the file or the ring volume is down. Android's ringtone player code (Ringtone.java) shows what happens next: if your chosen tone can't play, stock Android falls back to a built-in backup ring, but only when ring volume is above zero. So a generic ring instead of your song points to a file problem, and total silence points to volume, Do Not Disturb, or another Mode.
| What you notice | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The song doesn't appear in the list | Wrong format, or it's in another folder | Convert to MP3; on a Galaxy check the Folders tab. |
| "Unable to add custom ringtone" | The file isn't a real audio file | Re-export it as MP3 rather than renaming the extension. |
| A generic ring plays instead of your song | The file was moved, deleted, or is on an SD card | Keep the file in internal storage, in Ringtones, and pick it again. |
| Your choice goes back to the default | A theme, sound-profile, or cleaner app can change it; so can a software bug | Pick the tone again; check theme and automation apps. |
| No ring at all | Ring volume at zero, Do Not Disturb, or a Mode | Raise Ring volume and check Settings > Modes. |
| One SIM rings with the old tone | Dual-SIM Galaxy phones keep a tone per SIM | Set the ringtone for SIM 1 and SIM 2. |
Resetting bugs do happen on official software. In 2022, Google's Pixel support team acknowledged a bug that reset some users' custom sounds to the default, as 9to5Google reported, and its advice was simply to pick the custom sound again. If you hear nothing at all, not even notifications, our guide to fixing an Android phone with no sound walks through every volume slider and Mode.
Will your custom ringtone move to a new phone?
Only if the audio file comes too. Android's restore code looks up a custom ringtone on the new phone by its title among the phone's ringtone files, so the setting alone isn't enough. Before you switch or reset, copy your Ringtones folder to a computer or cloud storage, and put it back in the same folder on the new phone. Our guides to backing up an Android phone and factory resetting an Android phone cover the rest of what to save first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a Spotify song as my ringtone on Android?
No. Spotify and other streaming songs aren't regular files on your phone, so Samsung says they can't be set as ringtones. You need a song file you bought or downloaded, such as an MP3. Google's Clock app can use Spotify, YouTube Music, or Pandora for alarms, though.
Where are ringtones stored on Android?
Custom ringtones live in the Ringtones folder in your phone's internal storage. When you add a song with the + button, stock Android copies it there. Alarm and notification sounds have their own Alarms and Notifications folders.
Why can't I find my song when adding a ringtone?
It's usually the format or the folder. Convert the file to MP3, which every brand supports, and on a Samsung Galaxy check the Folders tab if the song isn't under Tracks.
Can I set a different ringtone for each SIM?
Yes on a dual-SIM Samsung Galaxy. In Settings > Sounds and vibration > Ringtone, Samsung asks you to pick SIM 1 or SIM 2 first, so each number can have its own tone.
How do I make my custom ringtone longer or start at the chorus?
Trim the song before you add it. Google's ringtone screen has no trimming tool, so cut the part you want with a free audio editor such as Audacity, export it as MP3, and add that file. Samsung's Play selected highlights only switch plays parts the phone picks.
