IPhones Are Getting New Ringtones for the First Time in a Decade
Remember ringtones? Back in the days when phones still rang for more than just spam calls, people even paid for the ability to choose a custom ring sound. There’s a trend these days to keep your phone on silent at all times, but it might be worth hitting the mute button on your iPhone (or hitting the Action button on your iPhone 15 Pro ) because we’re about to get a new batch of iPhone ringtones for the first time in decade.
The last time Apple updated its iPhone ringtone set was in 2013.
The last time Apple released a new ringtone was with the release of the iPhone X in 2017. Apple celebrated the release of this revolutionary device (and the 10th anniversary of the iPhone) with a unique ringtone called “Reflections.”
But before Reflections, the last time Apple significantly updated the iPhone ringtone set was with the release of iOS 7 in 2013. Since the release of the iPhone X affected the appearance of the phone, this update was huge , completely changing the look, feel, and functionality of iOS. In addition to these big changes, the company has added ringtones we now only associate with the iPhone, such as “Sencha”, “By The Seaside” and the dreaded alarm “Radar”. Of course, all the classic ringtones from iOS 6 are still here in the Classic menu.
How many new iPhone ringtones are there?
Ten years after the launch of iOS 7, iOS 17 came out with 24 new ringtones. Some of these new options, like Travel, are mostly looping, so they should continue to play uninterrupted for as long as your phone rings. Others take a different approach: for example, Chirp builds a main theme throughout the melody before returning to its simple beginning.
All the new ringtones seem to have strong haptic feedback. Previous iOS ringtones also synchronized with haptics, but now the effect is much more pronounced. “Dollop” has synths you can feel , and “Mercury” has a beat that sounds like someone dropping something on the floor; you can feel those kicks when they hit.
Elsewhere, “Kettle” sounds like it was written by Sufjan Stevens, and someone on the Apple team apparently really likes lo-fi beats: “Chalet” and “Daybreak” are straight out of a lo-fi playlist, with a crackling background and muffled sounds. melodies. Meanwhile, it seems like “Unfold” is sure to appear in the upcoming Apple TV+ drama . There are also new simple ringtones that sound like a more traditional ringtone. Try Steps or Tilt if you prefer something easier.
This new set of ringtones doesn’t look like a random addition. They’re modern, fun and well-designed, and they don’t replace anything you already liked – all the old sounds are still there. Reflections is still the default choice, although Apple has changed it slightly. And as a bonus, old classics from the iOS 6 era have been updated with proper haptic feedback.
Apple also added new alerts
In addition to the 24 new ringtones, Apple has added 12 new alert tones. They work better for shorter notifications like text messages and app alerts than longer ringtones. There’s not much to talk about here, but that’s a good thing: those short beeps and chirps won’t be annoying, even if you hear them dozens of times every day. Note that, as with the old ringtones, Apple has updated the old alert tones with haptic feedback. Also note that for some reason “Note” is still the default. (Personally, I can’t stand it.)
How to Get New iPhone Ringtones Right Now
iOS 17 is scheduled to be released on Monday, September 18th. However, a beta version candidate (RC) is already available. Barring any last-minute fixes, this is the version Apple plans to release worldwide, so it’s not too risky to join the beta right now to try out these new ringtones, as well as the rest of iOS 17’s features, right away .
If you want to upgrade now, check out our guide to downloading and installing iOS 17 early .