How to Make a Ringtone for iPhone

1. Make the ringtone file

1. Open Ringtone Maker and drop in the song, as MP3, M4A, WAV or most other formats.
2. Drag across the waveform to choose up to 40 seconds, and click Play selection to check it.
3. Keep iPhone ringtone (M4R) and click Cut. You get an .m4r file.

2. Put it on the iPhone

• Mac: connect the iPhone with a cable, select it in the Finder sidebar, and drag the .m4r file onto the iPhone's General tab.
• Windows: in the Apple Devices app or iTunes, select the iPhone and drag the .m4r file onto it.

3. Choose it

On the iPhone, go to Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Ringtone. Your ringtone is at the top of the list. You can also give a contact their own ringtone from the contact's Edit screen.

Why 40 seconds?

The iPhone refuses ringtones longer than 40 seconds. For text tones, keep it to a few seconds.

Android

Choose MP3 instead of M4R, copy the file to the phone and pick it in Settings → Sound, or set it from your music or files app.

Choosing the part

A ringtone is heard from its first second, often from across a room. Start on a beat or the first note of a chorus rather than in a quiet intro, and pick a part that loops well, because the phone repeats it while it rings.

Common problems

• The ringtone does not appear on the iPhone. Check that the file ends in .m4r and is 40 seconds or less, then drag it onto the iPhone again with the phone unlocked.
• Songs bought or streamed from Apple Music will not open. Streamed songs are protected and cannot be used as a source. Use a file you own, such as an MP3 or a recording.
• No computer. GarageBand on the iPhone can also export a ringtone: open the song in a project, then Share → Ringtone.