How to Set a WhatsApp Ringtone (Android & iPhone)

Quick answer: To change your WhatsApp ringtone, open WhatsApp → Settings → Notifications and tap Ringtone under Calls (or Notification tone for messages). For one person, open their chat, tap their name, then Notifications (Android: Custom notifications). Android can use any MP3 on your phone; iPhone uses WhatsApp’s built-in list.

WhatsApp has its own sound settings, separate from your phone’s ringtone. That means you can give WhatsApp calls a different WhatsApp ringtone, give messages their own tone, and even set special sounds for one person or one group.

This guide shows how to do all of that on Android and iPhone, including how to use a custom MP3 on Android.

Android vs iPhone: what is possible?

Feature	Android	iPhone
Change call ringtone for all chats	Yes	Yes
Change message tone for all chats	Yes	Yes
Custom tone for one contact or group	Yes	Yes
Use your own MP3 file	Yes	No, WhatsApp’s list only

Group calls use a default ringtone that cannot be changed.

Change the WhatsApp ringtone on Android

For all calls

1. Open WhatsApp.
2. Tap the three dots (More options) at the top right, then Settings.
3. Tap Notifications.
4. Under Calls, tap Ringtone.
5. Choose a sound. To use your own MP3, look for My sounds, Add or the + button, or pick Files in the chooser, and select the downloaded file.
6. Tap OK or Save.

For all messages

In the same Notifications screen, under Messages, tap Notification tone and choose a sound. Short tones from our Message tones page work great.

Use a custom MP3 on Android

1. Download a tone as MP3, for example from Ringtones for Android.
2. If WhatsApp’s chooser does not show it, open the Files app and move the MP3 into Internal storage → Ringtones (for calls) or Notifications (for messages).
3. Return to WhatsApp and pick it from the list.

Our Android ringtone guide explains the Ringtones folder trick in more detail.

Change the WhatsApp ringtone on iPhone

For all chats

1. Open WhatsApp and tap Settings at the bottom right.
2. Tap Notifications.
3. Under Message notifications, tap Sound to change the message tone.
4. Under Group notifications, tap Sound to change the group tone.
5. For calls, look for Ringtone under the calls section and pick a sound.

On iPhone, WhatsApp offers its own built-in sounds. It cannot use your custom phone ringtones or MP3 files. Some iPhones use your Phone ringtone for WhatsApp calls when the iPhone CallKit integration is on; in that case, your custom iPhone ringtone (set with our iPhone guide) will play for WhatsApp calls too.

Set a WhatsApp ringtone for one contact or group

On Android

1. Open the chat with the person or group.
2. Tap their name at the top.
3. Tap Notifications (on some versions, Custom notifications, then turn on Use custom notifications).
4. Change Notification tone for messages and Ringtone for calls.
5. Pick any sound, including your own MP3.

On iPhone

1. Open the chat and tap the contact or group name.
2. Tap Notifications (or Wallpaper & Sound on older versions).
3. Tap Alert tone or Sound and choose a tone.

This is perfect for family members or your partner. Pair it with a soft tone from Romantic ringtones or a cute one from Baby ringtones. For phone calls outside WhatsApp, see how to set a ringtone for one contact.

Turn off WhatsApp sounds for a noisy group

Busy group? Open the group, tap its name, tap Notifications and choose Mute. You can mute for 8 hours, 1 week or always. You will still see messages, just without the sound.

Change WhatsApp notification sounds for groups

Groups can be noisy, so WhatsApp lets you give them their own sound:

• Android: WhatsApp → Settings → Notifications → under Groups, tap Notification tone and choose a sound.
• iPhone: WhatsApp → Settings → Notifications → under Group notifications, tap Sound.

A softer sound for groups and a clearer one for private chats helps you decide at a glance whether a message needs your attention right now.

Vibration, pop-ups and priority

Sounds are only part of the picture. In the same Notifications screen you can change vibration patterns, turn on high priority notifications on Android (so previews appear at the top of the screen), and turn on or off reaction notifications. On iPhone, notification style is controlled in the phone’s own Settings → Notifications → WhatsApp screen, where you can choose banners, the lock screen or the notification centre.

WhatsApp Business

The steps are the same in WhatsApp Business. Open the app, tap the three dots or Settings, then Notifications. Many business users set a distinct tone for WhatsApp Business so they can tell customer messages apart from personal ones on the same phone.

Pick a tone that suits WhatsApp

WhatsApp alerts come often, so short and soft sounds work best for messages, while a melodic 20–30 second tone is better for calls. Choose a message tone that is clearly different from your SMS tone, so you know which app to open. You can download free options from our Message tones page and set them on Android in seconds.

Troubleshooting

WhatsApp still plays the old tone. Check whether the chat has custom notifications turned on. Custom settings override your general settings.

My MP3 does not appear on Android. Move it into the Ringtones or Notifications folder with the Files app, then try again. Restart WhatsApp if needed.

No sound at all. Check that your phone is not on silent or Do Not Disturb, and that WhatsApp notifications are allowed in your phone’s Settings → Apps → WhatsApp → Notifications.

The ringtone is cut short. WhatsApp loops the ringtone, so a short tone repeats. Choose a 20–30 second tone for a smoother sound.

Frequently asked questions