How to Make iPhone Ringtones on a PC
Open iTunes., Open your preferred song in iTunes., Double-click your track to listen to it., Right-click the song., Click Get Info., Click the Options tab., Click the checkboxes next to "Start" and "Stop"., Type in the beginning time stamp in the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Open iTunes.
It's a white icon with a multicolored musical note on its front.
If you don't have iTunes installed on your computer, first download and install it before continuing.
If a window pops up that tells you to update iTunes, click Download Update and wait for iTunes to update.
You'll need to restart your computer after iTunes finishes updating. -
Step 2: Open your preferred song in iTunes.
You can do so by clicking and dragging any .mp3-type file into the iTunes window.
If iTunes is your computer's default audio program, simply double-click the song to open it.
If the song is already in your library, navigate to it. , You'll need to make a note of the following things:
The time at which the section where you want your ringtone to start begins.
The time at which your ringtone needs to end.
The maximum length for an iPhone ringtone is 30 seconds. , Doing so will prompt a drop-down menu., It's toward the middle of the drop-down menu., You'll find this tab near the top of the "Get Info" window., Doing so will allow you to customize the song's starting point and stopping point., This should be the time in the song at which you want you ringtone to start.
You'll type in the following format: minute:second.tenth of a second.
For a time stamp of one minute and thirty seconds, then, you'd type "01:30.0". , This box is directly below the "Start" box., It's at the bottom of the "Get Info" window.
Now that your song has been trimmed, you'll need to convert it to a supported ringtone file type., It will become highlighted in blue., It's in the top-left corner of the iTunes window., You'll see a window pop out with several different options., You'll hear a confirmation sound, and a second version of your selected song will appear below the original.Notice that the playtime for the AAC version of the song reflects the section you trimmed, not the original song's length. , Make sure you double-check the length of the song before doing so, since you'll likely want the shorter of the two songs with the same name listed here., Doing so will open the AAC copy of your song in the Windows File Explorer utility, where you can proceed to edit it., If it doesn't, you'll need to enable this feature before proceeding.
The name of the "Folder Options" search option is actually "File Explorer Options" on Windows
10. , This will prompt a drop-down menu., It's near the bottom of the drop-down menu., You'll see this at the end of the file name., This will make the file readable as an iPhone ringtone.
You'll press ↵ Enter when you're done typing to save your changes. , This will confirm your file type change., If iTunes is your default player for audio files, you'll see the iTunes logo as your ringtone's file icon.
If iTunes isn't your default player for .m4r files: right-click the file, click Properties, click Change near the top of the "Properties" window, and select iTunes from the pop-up window. , It'll open in iTunes, which adds it back to the iTunes library as a tone., This option is in the top-left corner of the iTunes window, just above the "Library" column., You should see your tone here.
If you double-click it and it begins playing, you're ready to proceed to uploading it onto your iPhone.
If you're prompted to select the file's location: click Locate, select Windows Explorer from the bar on the left side of the window, and click the ringtone file.
Make sure there's a checkmark to the left of your ringtone's name. , To do so, attach the large end of your iPhone's charging cable to a USB port on your computer, then attach the charger end to the port at the bottom of your iPhone., It's the iPhone-shaped icon above the column of options on the left side of the iTunes window., This option is below your iPhone's name in the column on the left side of the iTunes window., If there isn't a checkmark in the box next to "Tones" at the top of the page, click the "Tones" box, then click Remove and Sync when prompted.
If you have to enable syncing, unplug your iPhone, then plug it back in to continue.
You'll need to click the device icon again and then click Tones. , This option is below the "Tones" heading at the top of the page.
Doing so will bring up a list of your iTunes library's ringtones., This will select it for uploading to your iPhone., It's near the bottom-right corner of the iTunes window., This option is in the bottom-right corner of the iTunes window.
When syncing finishes, you'll hear a confirmation noise, and the progress bar at the top of the window will disappear.
Your ringtone should now be on your iPhone, which means you're now able to access it in your iPhone's Settings., This is a grey app with gears on it that you'll likely find on the Home Screen., It's near the top of the "Settings" page.
If you have an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, tap Sounds & Haptics. , It's near the bottom of the screen.
If your iPhone has a
4.7-inch screen, you'll need to scroll down to see this option. , Any uploaded ringtones will be here above the "Opening (Default)" tone.
You can tap the ringtone's name at the top of this page to set it as your default ringtone for any incoming phone or FaceTime calls.
To set this ringtone for a specific contact:
Open the Contacts app, or open Phone and tap Contacts at the bottom of the screen.
Tap a contact's name.
Tap Edit in the top-right corner of the screen.
Tap Ringtone near the bottom of the screen.
Tap your new ringtone.
Tap Done in the top-right corner of the screen, then tap it again. -
Step 3: Double-click your track to listen to it.
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Step 4: Right-click the song.
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Step 5: Click Get Info.
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Step 6: Click the Options tab.
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Step 7: Click the checkboxes next to "Start" and "Stop".
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Step 8: Type in the beginning time stamp in the "Start" box.
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Step 9: Type in the ending timestamp in the "Stop" box.
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Step 10: Click OK.
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Step 11: Click your song if it isn't selected.
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Step 12: Click File.
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Step 13: Hover over Convert.
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Step 14: Click Create AAC Version.
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Step 15: Right-click the AAC file.
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Step 16: Click Show in Windows Explorer.
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Step 17: Make sure your computer displays file types.
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Step 18: Right-click the AAC file.
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Step 19: Click Rename.
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Step 20: Select the .m4a extension.
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Step 21: Replace the .m4a extension with .m4r.
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Step 22: Click OK when prompted.
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Step 23: Make sure the file opens with iTunes.
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Step 24: Double-click your file.
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Step 25: Click the Music bar.
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Step 26: Click Tones in drop-down menu.
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Step 27: Plug your phone into your PC.
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Step 28: Click the device icon.
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Step 29: Click Tones.
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Step 30: Make sure Tones are able to sync.
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Step 31: Click Selected Tones.
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Step 32: Click the box next to your ringtone's name.
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Step 33: Click Apply.
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Step 34: Click Done when the syncing finishes.
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Step 35: Open your iPhone's Settings.
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Step 36: Scroll down and tap Sounds.
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Step 37: Tap Ringtone.
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Step 38: Scroll up to the top of the "Ringtone" page.
Detailed Guide
It's a white icon with a multicolored musical note on its front.
If you don't have iTunes installed on your computer, first download and install it before continuing.
If a window pops up that tells you to update iTunes, click Download Update and wait for iTunes to update.
You'll need to restart your computer after iTunes finishes updating.
You can do so by clicking and dragging any .mp3-type file into the iTunes window.
If iTunes is your computer's default audio program, simply double-click the song to open it.
If the song is already in your library, navigate to it. , You'll need to make a note of the following things:
The time at which the section where you want your ringtone to start begins.
The time at which your ringtone needs to end.
The maximum length for an iPhone ringtone is 30 seconds. , Doing so will prompt a drop-down menu., It's toward the middle of the drop-down menu., You'll find this tab near the top of the "Get Info" window., Doing so will allow you to customize the song's starting point and stopping point., This should be the time in the song at which you want you ringtone to start.
You'll type in the following format: minute:second.tenth of a second.
For a time stamp of one minute and thirty seconds, then, you'd type "01:30.0". , This box is directly below the "Start" box., It's at the bottom of the "Get Info" window.
Now that your song has been trimmed, you'll need to convert it to a supported ringtone file type., It will become highlighted in blue., It's in the top-left corner of the iTunes window., You'll see a window pop out with several different options., You'll hear a confirmation sound, and a second version of your selected song will appear below the original.Notice that the playtime for the AAC version of the song reflects the section you trimmed, not the original song's length. , Make sure you double-check the length of the song before doing so, since you'll likely want the shorter of the two songs with the same name listed here., Doing so will open the AAC copy of your song in the Windows File Explorer utility, where you can proceed to edit it., If it doesn't, you'll need to enable this feature before proceeding.
The name of the "Folder Options" search option is actually "File Explorer Options" on Windows
10. , This will prompt a drop-down menu., It's near the bottom of the drop-down menu., You'll see this at the end of the file name., This will make the file readable as an iPhone ringtone.
You'll press ↵ Enter when you're done typing to save your changes. , This will confirm your file type change., If iTunes is your default player for audio files, you'll see the iTunes logo as your ringtone's file icon.
If iTunes isn't your default player for .m4r files: right-click the file, click Properties, click Change near the top of the "Properties" window, and select iTunes from the pop-up window. , It'll open in iTunes, which adds it back to the iTunes library as a tone., This option is in the top-left corner of the iTunes window, just above the "Library" column., You should see your tone here.
If you double-click it and it begins playing, you're ready to proceed to uploading it onto your iPhone.
If you're prompted to select the file's location: click Locate, select Windows Explorer from the bar on the left side of the window, and click the ringtone file.
Make sure there's a checkmark to the left of your ringtone's name. , To do so, attach the large end of your iPhone's charging cable to a USB port on your computer, then attach the charger end to the port at the bottom of your iPhone., It's the iPhone-shaped icon above the column of options on the left side of the iTunes window., This option is below your iPhone's name in the column on the left side of the iTunes window., If there isn't a checkmark in the box next to "Tones" at the top of the page, click the "Tones" box, then click Remove and Sync when prompted.
If you have to enable syncing, unplug your iPhone, then plug it back in to continue.
You'll need to click the device icon again and then click Tones. , This option is below the "Tones" heading at the top of the page.
Doing so will bring up a list of your iTunes library's ringtones., This will select it for uploading to your iPhone., It's near the bottom-right corner of the iTunes window., This option is in the bottom-right corner of the iTunes window.
When syncing finishes, you'll hear a confirmation noise, and the progress bar at the top of the window will disappear.
Your ringtone should now be on your iPhone, which means you're now able to access it in your iPhone's Settings., This is a grey app with gears on it that you'll likely find on the Home Screen., It's near the top of the "Settings" page.
If you have an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, tap Sounds & Haptics. , It's near the bottom of the screen.
If your iPhone has a
4.7-inch screen, you'll need to scroll down to see this option. , Any uploaded ringtones will be here above the "Opening (Default)" tone.
You can tap the ringtone's name at the top of this page to set it as your default ringtone for any incoming phone or FaceTime calls.
To set this ringtone for a specific contact:
Open the Contacts app, or open Phone and tap Contacts at the bottom of the screen.
Tap a contact's name.
Tap Edit in the top-right corner of the screen.
Tap Ringtone near the bottom of the screen.
Tap your new ringtone.
Tap Done in the top-right corner of the screen, then tap it again.
About the Author
Timothy Webb
Creates helpful guides on home improvement to inspire and educate readers.
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