How to create or add a new iPhone ringtone

iPhone’s default ‘Opening’ ringtone can at times be very monotonous. We then need to know how to add custom iPhone ringtone(s) that are more appealing to us.

Our phones have become our companions wherever we go. Therefore, we tend to customize our devices to fit our liking. After buying a new iPhone, most of us change the phone screen wallpaper to a photo we like. Be it a photo you took at the beach, an amazing sunset you caught, or a colorful and graphic image you downloaded from the internet. Similarly, we can customize our ringtone sounds to something exciting to hear.

Just like many other phones, iPhone has allowed its users to change their ringtone from the default one set when purchasing the phone, to whichever audio they’d prefer. The audio can be anything from a part of a motivating speech you heard to the first words your child spoke (if you were lucky enough to catch it). For most of us, it is usually a part of our favorite song.

Doing this is quite easy, as I will show you how. There are two methods of changing your iPhone’s ringtone, which are:-

1. Buying ringtones from iTunes
2. Using GarageBand.

Adding new ringtone from iTunes

iTunes has a feature known as Tones, which offers a great variety of ringtones, text tones and other alert tones for alarm clocks, all of which are up for purchase. There are two methods of adding ringtones from iTunes. The first method is as follows;

1. Open the iTunes app.
2. Tap on more and select Tones. This will open a page with all kinds of genres of ringtones to choose from.
3. Search for the ringtone you want and click on the price next to it.
4. Select the ‘set as default ringtone’ option.
5. Confirm the purchase by typing in your pin/password.

This process will set the audio you have picked as your iPhone’s ringtone. You can as well access the Tones feature through the settings app of your phone by following the steps below.

1. Open the Setting app.
2. Click on Sound and Haptics.
3. Click on Ringtone.
4. Under Store, select Tones store.
5. At the top of the list will be Tones. Click on it. This will direct you to the Tones store.
6. Search for the ringtone you want and click on the price next to it.
7. Select the ‘set as default ringtone’ option.
8. Confirm the purchase by typing in your pin/password.

If you are not a fan of purchasing ringtones or would like to use one of your own audios as the ringtone, follow the process below.

Adding new Ringtone using GarageBand

GarageBand is an app developed by Apple for iPhone and iPad users to create and upload their own music. The app, therefore, comes pre-installed on all iPhones and iPads. However, if for whatever reason you don’t have the app, you can reinstall it from the App Store.

Apart from creating your own music, the app can also be used to change the iPhone’s ringtone by following the steps below. Before you begin this process, ensure that the audio you want to use is in your local files. If not, legally download the song/audio to have it available on your phone.

1. Open the GarageBand app. You’ll have to rotate your phone as the app is in landscape mode.
2. Click the + sign on the top right corner of the app to create a new project.
3. Swipe left on the interface till you reach the voice recorder option and tap on it.
4. Tap on the third icon from the top left corner of the app to create a ‘workspace’ for you to import the audio file you want.
5. To import your file, click on the loop icon which is the second icon from the top right.
6. From the window that appears, click on the files option and then click ‘browse items from the files app’ at the bottom of the window. This will let you view the files in your files app to select the audio you want.
7. Search for the audio you want as your ringtone and select it. It will then appear in the window you had opened previously.
8. Select, hold and then drag the file to the ‘working space’.
9. Since the ringtones are limited to a maximum of 30 seconds, you will have to crop the audio to a maximum of 30 seconds. You can use the play button at the top to confirm the section you’ve selected is the correct part.
10. Once you have confirmed the audio, tap the downward-facing arrow icon at the top right of the app and click on My Songs. This will be the function to save the audio you’ve created.
11. Your file will appear at the farthest left of the window. Long press the file and click on share from the drop-down list.
12. Select the ringtone option.
13. You can rename the file here and then click on export in the top right corner to export it to the list of ringtones. Press OK.
14. Exit GarageBand and open Settings.
15. Click on sound and haptics, followed by ringtones. You should see the file you exported in the list of ringtones.
16. Select your ringtone and it will now be set as your custom ringtone.

There you have it, two easy methods of setting your enjoyable custom audio as a ringtone on your iPhone.