How to Change Notification Sound on Android in 4 Easy Steps

Have you ever found yourself in a public place, only to hear someone else’s phone notification sound and reach for your own device out of habit? Or perhaps you just want to express your unique style with a personalized notification sound. 

Whatever the reason may be, changing the notification sound on your Android device is a quick and simple process. In just four easy steps, you can customize or change the notification sound on your Android phone to suit your taste or style.

In this article, we’ll guide you through these steps so you can stand out from the crowd and add a personal touch to your device. Let’s get to it right away!

Step 1: Open the Settings App

First, you’ll need to locate the Settings app on your phone. This can usually be found on your home screen or in your app drawer. 

If you can’t locate it, you can use the search bar on your device to look for it. Once you’ve found it, simply tap on it to open it up.

Once you have the Settings app open, you’re ready to move on to the next step.

Step 2: Select Sounds and Vibration

Next, you’ll need to find the “Sounds and notifications” or “Sounds and vibration” option in the Settings menu. The exact wording may vary depending on your phone model and Android version. Tap on it to open the sound settings.

You can also click on the search icon in the Settings app and search for “Notification sounds”. Click on “Notification sound” inside “Sounds and vibration,” or something similar, and this will directly take you to the notification sound settings.

Step 3: Choosing a New Notification Sound

Once you’re in the “Sound and vibration” menu, you’ll see a list of different sound settings on your device. Look for the “Notification Sound” option and tap on it.

If you’re using a dual SIM phone, you may be prompted to first choose a SIM card before proceeding with the next step.

After clicking on one, you’ll see a list of pre-installed notification sounds. Tap on any of them to hear a preview of what it sounds like. Tapping on any one of them automatically sets it as the new notification sound.

And as easy as that was, you’ve successfully changed your notification sound on your Android device! If you’d like to change it again in the future, just follow these same steps.

NB: If you do not hear any playback, head back to “Sounds and vibration” and make sure that the sound mode is set to “Sound.”

Setting a Notification Sound for Specific Apps on Android (Optional)

If you want to customize the notification sound for specific apps, you can do so by going to the app’s settings. For instance, to change the notification sound for WhatsApp, open the app and tap on the three dots in the top right corner.

Then select “Settings” followed by “Notifications” and choose a new sound. You can also go to Apps from the Settings menu and select WhatsApp > Notifications > In-app notification settings and choose a new sound. 

Either way, you’ll end up with the screen below, where you can set different notification sounds for different types of instances, such as one for messages and a different one for groups.

Setting a Custom Notification Sound on Android

If you don’t like any of the pre-installed sounds, you can choose a new sound from your music library. Again, this will depend on your phone type and Android version but, generally, you should be able to effect this by tapping on “Add” in the list of notification sounds.

For some phones though, like the Samsung Galaxy phones using the One UI interface, the procedure may be slightly different. If you wish to set an audio recording or music file for your notifications, the audio file must be placed into the Notifications folder. To do this, open the My Files app and tap on “Audio files” under Categories.

Scroll to locate your audio file, long-press the music file to select, and then tap on “Move” or “Copy.”

Head back to My Files and select “Internal storage,” then select the “Notifications” folder.

If the Notification folder is missing, simply create one and make sure to name it “Notifications.” Tap on “Copy here” to copy the music or audio file into your Notifications folder. 

Now, you can head back into Settings > Sounds and vibration > Notification sounds, select your audio file, and set it as the new notification tone. And just like that, you’ve successfully set a new custom notification sound!

Tip: You can use the same procedure to set up a custom ringtone for your phone.

Step 4: Test the Sound

After choosing a new sound, tap on the “Back” button to return to the “Sound and vibration” menu. You’ll see that the “Notification sound” has been updated to the tone(s) you chose. 

To test the new sound, you may ask someone to send you a message or email.

The following video from Jimmy is Promo shows you how to change customize notification sounds on your Android device.

Additional Settings

Now that you’ve chosen a new notification sound, you might want to adjust its volume to make sure it’s not too loud or too soft. To do this, go back to the “Sound and vibration” menu and tap on “Volume.” 

You’ll then see a slider that you can use to adjust the volume of your notifications.

You can also adjust the volume of your notification sounds from the volume rocker on your device. When you press the volume up or down button, a panel will appear on your screen that shows the volume levels for your notifications, media, and alarms. You can adjust the volume for each of these by sliding the appropriate slider.

If you prefer not to have your phone vibrate each time a notification comes in, you can turn off the vibration for notifications. To do this, return to the “Sound mode” section within the “Sound and vibration” menu and select the “Vibrate” option.

And if you want to customize the intensity or pattern of the vibration, you can do so by tapping on “Vibration intensity” or “Notification vibration pattern.”

Final Thoughts

Changing the notification sound on your Android device is an easy and straightforward process. With just a few taps, you can personalize your notification sound to something that better suits your personality. 

Whether you prefer a subtle chime, an upbeat tune, or a bold and brash alert, the ability to customize your notification sound is a great way to make your device truly your own. By following the simple steps we’ve looked at, you can make sure that you never miss an important notification again.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Yasin Hasan/Shutterstock.com.