Admit it: default iPhone ringtones are boring. Every time a standard ringtone plays from someone’s phone, you just want it to go silent right away. Fortunately, you can turn this around and get yourself a super-cool custom ringtone in just a few clicks.
Unfortunately, with the new updates, you can’t select personalized audio files as an iPhone ringtone. The only options now are buying the tones from iTunes Store or a ringtone provided by Apple. However, they’re far from unique and customized.
Still, you can also create a ringtone yourself. This way is definitely harder but it allows you to get a much more unique ringtone that’ll suit you much better. All you need is a Mac or PC computer, your iPhone, and its charging cable.
First, to convert MP3 to iPhone ringtone, pick the file you want to import as a new tone. This must first be an MP3 file kept on your computer. Then, import it into your iTunes / Apple Music library. Drag it into the library window or click on File > Add file to library.
In your iTunes library, right-click the imported music, then go to Song Info. In the Options tab, prune your audio file. Just add the time you want the tone to start, in this format: MM: SS. Do the same for the audio ending and make sure your ringtone does not exceed 30 seconds. Press OK.
Now you have a ringtone in your library, but just in MP3. The Apple ecosystem, while capable of playing MP3 files, uses a specific AAC format for its sound libraries. You’ll need to convert your fine to adapt it to your iPhone. No worries, iTunes has an integrated converter to AAC.
Check if the iTunes converter comes out of the AAC. To do so, go to the software settings. Go to Edit, then Preferences. In the General tab, configure the import settings. From the Import with a drop-down menu, select AAC Encoder. Press OK and exit the Preferences window.
To convert the file, therefore the file in iTunes, click on the File > Conver > Create AAC Version. After a short while and a confirmation sound, select the newly created file, click View in Windows Explorer / Finder. Be careful not to delete either of the two files in Explorer, otherwise. In Explorer, select your file and rename the extension from .m4a to .m4r. Submit the change.
Last but not least: add this freshly created ringtone to your device! To do this, drag your .m4r file to your iPhone tab in iTunes, from Explorer or Finder. If the transfer was successful, you’ll be able to find this new ringtone in the iPhone Sounds tab in iTunes.
To choose this new audio file as a custom ringtone, go to your iPhone settings. Go to Settings > Sounds and Haptics, tap Ringtone. Find your newly imported ringtone above the default ones and tap on it so it plays on your iPhone.
That was pretty easy, right? Download as many ringtones as you want and enjoy your 100% custom iPhone now!