How to use any audio file as iPhone ringtone in iOS 26

Learn how to set an MP3 song or the audio file you’ve created or downloaded from the internet as your ringtone on the iPhone or iPad without any specialized apps.

On iOS 18 and older iOS versions, you can either buy ringtones from Apple or create them yourself through the convoluted process involving GarageBand.

iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 (currently in beta) expand ringtones options for everyone who wants something different from the built-in call and message tones.

You can now use any 30-second audio saved in the Files app in the compatible file format (MP3, WAV, M4A, M4R, FLAC, AIFF, AAC, AMR) as the ringtone on your iPhone or iPad, and we’ll show you how to do it.

Use an audio file as your iPhone’s ringtone

1) Open the audio file in the built-in Files app or a third-party file manager app, such as Documents, and select the share option. In third-party apps, you may need to tap the share icon again to actually get to the actual iOS share menu.

2) Select Use as Ringtone in the share menu, and you’ll be taken to the ringtone selection screen in the Settings app; tap the audio file to set it as your ringtone. The ringtone will remain on the list of available ringtones until manually deleted.

You can also hold an audio in the Files app and select the Quick Look option, then open the share menu and choose Use as Ringtone.

Delete a ringtone from your iPhone

Deleting the original audio file in the Files app won’t remove the ringtone you’ve create from it. Instead, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone and swipe left over an added tone to delete it.

No option to set the ringtone?

This can happen if the audio file is in an unsupported format, corrupted, or compressed weirdly; redownload the file and try again.

If that doesn’t help, try a different audio file. Ringtones are capped to 30 seconds; if the audio is longer than that, you’ll see the “Use as Ringtone” option, but the system will throw an error stating the file is too large.

Download free iPhone ringtones

The best way to get free ringtones is to convert them from non-protected songs in the Music app. You can set any 30-second segment of your favorite track as your ringtone. Or, you can download free ringtones from the internet on websites like Prokerala, Zedge, Tones7, MobCup, and mobiles24. And because iOS 26 supports all major audio file formats for ringtones, you can now also download iOS-friendly M4R ringtone files from Android-exclusive websites.

iPhone ringtones on older iOS versions

On iOS 18 and older versions, you have these four choices for iPhone ringtones:

• Purchase 30-second ringtones from the iTunes Store.
• Download a ringtone, then use GarageBand to use it as a ringtone.
• Create a ringtone from scratch in GarageBand (it’s a complicated process).
• Use the Music app to create a ringtone on a Mac (doesn’t work for DRM-protected tracks like Apple Music songs) and sync it to your iPhone.

Personalize calls with different ringtones

Ringtones allow for interesting customization of phone calls and messages. For example, you can assign specific ringtones, text tones, and vibrations to specific contacts so you know who’s calling or messaging you without looking at the screen.

Do you use the default ringtone on your iPhone or a custom one? And do you use per-contact ringtones? Let us know by leaving a comment down below.

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/07/10/how-to-use-audio-file-as-iphone-ringtone/