An iPhone ringtone has to be a short tone file, not just any song dragged into Sounds settings. The free GarageBand app can trim a song you own, export it in the right format, and hand it to iOS as a custom ringtone without using a computer.
This works on iOS 15 or later. GarageBand is required, and songs streamed through Apple Music may be blocked by DRM unless you own a usable local copy.
Does This Affect You?
Use this if you want part of a song as your ringtone or text tone instead of one of Apple’s built-in sounds.
Create the Ringtone in GarageBand
- Install GarageBand from the App Store if it is not already installed.
- Open GarageBand, tap the plus button, and start a new project such as Audio Recorder.
- Tap the loop icon to open your music and file sources.
- Find the song or audio file and drag it onto the track timeline.
- Trim the clip to the section you want. Keep it short, usually 30 seconds or less.
- Tap the down arrow near the project name and choose My Songs.
- Touch and hold the project thumbnail, tap Share, then choose Ringtone.
- Name the tone and tap Export.
Set the Ringtone
- After export, choose the prompt to use it as a standard ringtone or text tone if offered.
- If you skipped the prompt, open Settings > Sounds & Haptics.
- Tap Ringtone and select the custom tone near the top of the list.
- Use Text Tone if you want it for message alerts instead.
Ringtone Notes
Apple Music Limits
Songs available only through an Apple Music subscription are protected and usually cannot be imported into GarageBand. Use audio you own locally or buy the song from the iTunes Store if available.
Use a Contact-Specific Tone
Open Contacts, choose a person, tap Edit, tap Ringtone, and select your custom tone. That contact will use the custom sound while others keep the default.
If the Tone Does Not Appear
Wait a moment and check Sounds & Haptics again. If it still does not show, reopen GarageBand and export the ringtone again.
Storage
Custom ringtones take a small amount of storage. Remove unused tones from iPhone storage settings or the tone management options available on your iOS version.
Sources
- Apple Support: Create ringtones in GarageBand on iPhone
- Apple Support: Get ringtones on iPhone
- Apple Support: Buy or redeem content on iPhone