How to Set Custom Ringtones in iOS 26 on iPhone

iOS 26 has brought a ton of visual upgrades like Liquid Glass and transparent elements, but Apple hasn't skimped on adding functional features to the iPhone. One such addition is the ability to apply custom ringtones, a simple yet much requested feature that Android users have had for years. The process is simple, and here's how you can set custom ringtones on your iPhone.

Apply custom ringtones on iPhones

Among other iOS 26 features, Apple has simplified the means to apply custom ringtone on iPhones. You can use any MP3 or M4A file that's 30 seconds or shorter and saved on your device to apply it directly as your phone's ringtone. Here's how you can set a custom ringtone on an iPhone.

Launch the Files app on your iPhone and navigate to the location where you've saved the ringtone file that you want to apply.
Once you locate the MP3 or M4A file saved on your device, long-press on it and select Share from the overflow menu.

iPhone screenshot of menus that appear upon long-pressing a file inside Files app

From the subsequent menu, tap on More and then select Use as Ringtone.

iPhone screenshot showing the iOS share sheet featuring the Use an Ringtone option

As soon as you do that, the selected file will be automatically applied as your default ringtone. You'll be redirected to the Ringtone screen, where you'll see the selected ringtone appear with a check mark on the left.

You can repeat the aforementioned steps to add more custom ringtone to the Ringtone screen. If you added a bunch of external ringtones, you can access and apply them by heading over to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone and choosing any of the options visible above the default "Reflection" ringtone.

iPhone screenshots showing the location of ringtones and external ringtones on iOS

At any time you wish to remove the ringtones from your iPhone, go to the Ringtone screen as directed above and swipe left on the ringtone you no longer want. This will display a Delete button, which when tapped upon will remove the option from the Ringtone screen.

Best and verified sources to download iPhone ringtones

iOS 26 solves a long-time hindrance by letting users add their own music files as their ringtone. Since ringtones aren't as popular as they used to be, you must be wondering where to find them online. Lucky for you, here's a list of websites where you can download ringtones and notification tones from:

Apple doesn't limit the number of ringtones you add to your iPhone but wants you to make sure that the audio files you want to apply as ringtones are 30 seconds or less in duration. If your chosen audio is longer than that, then you might need a tool like Audacity or mp3cut.net to trim the file to your preferred part.

With iOS 26, iPhone users are finally getting a taste of the feature that Android users have had for ages. Yes, there were means to apply custom ringtones on iOS in the past using apps like Garageband, but with the latest update, it's easier than ever to add them to your phone.