How to change notification sounds on your iPhone

Learn how to customize notification alerts and ringtones for specific apps and contacts on your iPhone with this step-by-step guide.

1. Open the Sounds & Haptics menu. Launch the Settings app from your Home Screen. Scroll down and tap Sounds & Haptics to access your global alert configurations.
2. Modify default system alerts. Under the Sound and Haptic Patterns section, select the specific alert type you wish to change, such as Text Tone, New Mail, or Calendar Alerts. Tap the desired tone from the list to preview and set it as your default.
3. Change sounds for individual contacts. Open the Contacts app and select a specific person. Tap Edit in the top-right corner, then select Text Tone or Ringtone.
4. Assign a custom tone. Choose a sound from the list to override the default global setting for this specific contact. Tap Done to save your changes to the contact card.
5. Manage app-specific notifications. Navigate to Settings, then tap Notifications. Select an app from the list and ensure that Sounds is toggled on to allow alerts for that specific application.