Your iPhone can use one text tone for most messages and different tones for specific people. That lets you recognize important texts by sound or vibration before looking at the screen.
These steps apply to iOS 15 or later, including iOS 17 and iOS 18.
Does This Affect You?
Use this if you want to replace the default text chime, set a special tone for one contact, or check why a chosen text tone is not playing.
Change the Default Text Tone
- Open Settings.
- Tap Sounds & Haptics.
- Tap Text Tone.
- Tap tones to preview them.
- Leave the checkmark beside the tone you want. The change applies immediately.
This tone is used for incoming messages unless a contact has a custom tone assigned.
Set a Text Tone for One Contact
- Open Contacts.
- Choose the person.
- Tap Edit.
- Tap Text Tone.
- Pick a tone from the list.
- Tap Done to save the contact.
That person’s text tone overrides your general Text Tone setting.
Extra Sound and Haptic Options
Custom Vibrations
From the Text Tone screen, open Haptics. You can choose a built-in vibration or create your own tap pattern.
Ringtone Is Separate
Changing Ringtone affects phone calls. Text Tone affects messages. Both can be customized generally or per contact.
More Tones
Use Tone Store from the tone list if you want Apple-sold tones, or create a custom ringtone/text tone through GarageBand if you want your own audio.
If You Hear Nothing
Check Silent Mode, Focus modes, notification settings, and the Ringtone and Alerts volume under Sounds & Haptics.
Sources
- Apple Support: Change iPhone sounds and vibrations
- Apple Support: Use tones and ringtones with iPhone or iPad
- Apple Support: Add or edit contact info and photo on iPhone