iOS 26 brings one underrated feature that iPhone users have been requesting for years – the option to set a custom audio as the ringtone. Of course, users had the option to browse the iTunes Store for custom ringtones, text tones, and alert tones, on top of a diverse native tone library. But there was no way to set a voice memo or a tone from a third-party marketplace as the ringtone without going through the Garage Band app. Now that Apple has lifted this limitation, let’s take a look at how you can set a custom ringtone on your iPhone.
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In This Article
What’s new on iOS 26?
Most of the big changes ushered in by iOS 26 are cosmetic. It marks the debut of Apple’s ‘Liquid Glass’ design language, something that will be expanded and tweaked in the following iterations. Based on a translucent theme, the Liquid Glass elements can be found across the UI, from the Control Centre to the app icons and the in-app controls.
There are some crucial feature updates that need to be talked about as well. iOS 26 gives a big boost to the Apple Intelligence package, bringing real-time translation features to phone calls and text messages. Visual intelligence can now scan your screenshots and use AI to analyse the content and provide more information about it, similar to Google’s Circle to Search. Genmoji and Image Playground have received new customisation options, allowing users to add more unique traits to their AI creations.
Set a custom ringtone on iPhone using the Files app(iOS 26)
Step 1: Make sure your iPhone is updated to iOS 26.
Step 2: Launch the Files app and locate the ringtone.
Step 3: Long-press the audio file and hit the Share icon.
Step 4: Tap on Use as Ringtone.
Step 5: You will be redirected to the ringtone library, and your selected audio file will be set as your iPhone’s ringtone.
Set a custom ringtone on iPhone using the Voice Memos app (iOS 26)
Step 1: Launch the Voice Memos app on your iPhone.
Step 2: Hit the ellipses next to the voice memo you want to set as the ringtone.
Step 3: Tap on Share.
Step 4: Tap on Use as Ringtone.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I change my iPhone’s ringtone?
Go to Settings>Sounds & Haptics>Ringtone, and select a tone from the native library or the Tone Store.
How do I set a custom tone as my iPhone’s ringtone?
Launch the Files app, go to the audio file, long-press the file, tap on ‘Share’, and select ‘Use as Ringtone’. This method requires updating your iPhone to iOS 26.
How do I update my iPhone to iOS 26?
As of now, you can only download the Developer Beta version of iOS 26. Go to https://developer.apple.com/, register your Apple account, then go to Settings>General>Software Update>Beta Updates>iOS 26 Developer Beta, and hit ‘Update Now’.
When will Apple release iOS 26?
The first Public Beta version of iOS 26 will be released in July 2025. This will be followed by the release of the stable version in September 2025.
Is my iPhone compatible with iOS 26?
All models from iPhone 12 onwards are compatible with iOS 26.
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Final Thoughts
This is how you can set a custom ringtone on your iPhone. While you’re here, check out how you can create a custom ringtone on Nothing Phone using the native Glyph Composer. If you have any questions, let us know in the comments!
