To change the notification sound on your Android phone, start with the default system tone by opening Settings > Sound & vibration > Notification, choosing a sound, and tapping Save. For specific apps, you can set a unique sound using Settings > Notifications > App notifications > [app] > Notification categories > [category] > Sound, though this only works for apps that support notification categories.
How to change the default notification sound on Android
Changing the default notification sound on a Pixel phone requires these steps:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Sound & vibration.
- Tap Notification.
- Choose a sound from the list.
- Tap Save.
This sets the default notification sound for all notifications that don't have a custom sound assigned.
How to change notification sounds for specific apps
To assign a different notification sound to a particular app on a Pixel phone:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Notifications.
- Tap App notifications.
- Select the app you want to customize.
- Tap Notification categories.
- Choose the category (e.g., "Messages" or "Alerts").
- Tap Sound.
- Select a sound and tap Save.
This method works only for apps that use notification categories. If you want to adjust vibration settings on your phone alongside the sound, you can find those options in the same Sound & vibration menu. For times when you need silence, knowing how to turn on vibrate on phone can be more practical than changing sounds entirely. If an app becomes too noisy, you may want to learn how to turn off notifications in Android (every version) from the main notification settings.
What about custom sounds and contacts?
The page only covers selecting from the phone's available notification sounds. Similarly, no retrieved official Android support page documents setting per-contact notification sounds as a built-in Android feature. On iPhone, Apple documents notification sound changes in Settings > Notifications for specific apps, and in Settings > Sounds & Haptics for system tones; some apps also let you pick a sound only if the app supports it. Apple documents a specific per-contact sound path for Messages on iPhone: Messages > conversation > contact icon > Info > Edit > Edit Contact Info > Text Tone. Apple documents built-in tones, Tone Store downloads, and custom vibration creation for certain sound categories. Apple specifically notes that apps such as FaceTime or Messages can let you select a tone for each notification from that app. Apple says you can choose a specific sound or vibration pattern for that contact, including downloading a tone from Tone Store or creating a new vibration. For iPhone, the documented paths are Settings > Notifications for app notification sounds, Settings > Sounds & Haptics for system tones, and Messages contact settings for per-contact text tones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can every app on Android use a separate notification sound?
No. Google documents this feature only for apps that use notification categories. The sound is changed inside the category's settings, and apps without categories cannot have per-app sounds assigned through this method.
Can every app on iPhone use a custom notification sound?
No. Apple says 'If the app supports it,' then you can choose a sound in the app's notification settings.
Are there file format or length limits for custom notification sounds on Android?
Most Android devices support common formats like MP3, WAV, and OGG, but the official pages do not specify these details.
How do I change the notification sound back to the original default?
Return to Settings > Sound & vibration > Notification and select the default system sound from the list. The original default sound is typically labeled "Default" or appears at the top of the sound list.
Why don't I see "Notification categories" for some apps?
Some apps do not use notification categories, which means you cannot assign a custom sound to them using the documented Pixel path. These apps may have their own sound settings inside the app itself, or they may use the default system notification sound.
Can I set a different notification sound for each messaging app?
Yes, if each messaging app uses notification categories. For example, you can set a unique sound for WhatsApp, another for Telegram, and another for Messages, as long as each app supports category-level sound customization.
For the wider topic, see vibration settings on your phone.
