How to Set a Custom Text Tone on iPhone

You can set a custom text tone (notification sound) on your iPhone using the same process as creating a custom ringtone. Any audio clip you export from TrimTone: Ringtone Maker can be used as either a ringtone or a text tone.

What Is a Text Tone?

A text tone is the sound your iPhone plays when you receive a text message, iMessage, or other notification. By default, iPhone uses Apple's built-in sounds (like Tri-tone or Note), but you can replace these with any custom sound.

Text tones follow the same rules as ringtones: they must be 30 seconds or shorter and in Apple's ringtone format. In practice, good text tones are usually much shorter — 2 to 5 seconds is ideal.

Step-by-Step: Create and Set a Custom Text Tone

1. Create the audio clip

Open TrimTone and import an audio or video file, or record a new sound. Trim it to a short clip (2–5 seconds is best for a text tone). Preview it until you're happy.

2. Export the ringtone file

Tap Export. This creates a standard ringtone file that works as both a ringtone and a text tone.

3. Open in GarageBand and export as ringtone

Follow the same GarageBand steps as a regular ringtone export. TrimTone walks you through this after export. For full details, see the complete ringtone guide.

4. Set it as your text tone

Once the ringtone is exported via GarageBand, go to:

1. Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Text Tone
2. Your custom tone will appear at the top of the list under "Ringtones"
3. Tap it to select it

5. Set a text tone for a specific contact (optional)

You can also set a unique text tone for individual contacts:

1. Open Contacts and tap the person's name
2. Tap Edit
3. Tap Text Tone
4. Select your custom tone

Tips for Good Text Tones

• Keep it short. 2–5 seconds is ideal. Long notification sounds get annoying fast.
• Choose distinctive sounds. Pick something you'll instantly recognize as your notification.
• Avoid loud starts. Text tones that start with a sudden loud sound can be jarring in quiet environments.

Can I Use Video Audio as a Text Tone?

Yes. TrimTone can extract audio from video files, so you can use a short sound from any video as your text tone.