Free ringtones for iPhone and Android: what are your options?
You can change to a built-in tone without buying anything, or use a recording or audio file you already have. Ringy also has catalogue entries marked free; check the selected sound’s access in the app. A free app download does not make every feature free.
In this guide
Choose a route that matches what you need
| Your starting point | What to do |
|---|---|
| A different built-in sound | Select it in the phone’s ringtone settings; no new download is needed. |
| Your own recording or usable song file | Prepare the excerpt and follow the iPhone or Android setup below. |
| A ready-made Ringy sound | Check the exact entry’s current free or paid access in the app. |
Free options on iPhone
For a sound already installed, open Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Ringtone and choose it. If you want something personal, make a voice recording or start with an audio file you are allowed to use. Apple’s GarageBand app is listed as free in the US App Store at this review, and its documented ringtone export accepts an unprotected source. Check the store’s OS requirement before downloading it on an older device.
Use our voice-recording guide for the source and GarageBand guide for export. If you do not want to install an editor, see what works without another app. Buying a Tone Store item is a separate paid choice.
Free options on Android, Samsung and Pixel
Built-in sounds are selectable in Settings. For your own sound, save a playable audio file on the phone, then add it through the ringtone picker. The phone’s picker does not require a ringtone subscription. Follow the Samsung song-file steps or Pixel instructions; the Android guide also covers Files by Google.
An app may charge for a source sound or editing feature even when the phone’s final selection step is free. A streaming subscription download is not an ordinary audio file available to the picker.
Find free entries in Ringy
At our October 18, 2026 catalogue check, examples marked free included Airhorn, Rooster and Chipmunk Laugh. Open a share page to check the exact title and artwork, then use Listen in Ringy to open the app. If a store installation lands on the app’s home screen, search the name shown on that page.
These are dated catalogue examples, not a promise that every tone or maker feature is free. Check the current offer on your device. Where an ad-based unlock is offered, read what it grants; availability and limits can differ. The Ringy access guide explains paid features, offers and restoration.
What does “download” mean here?
Ringy’s website lets you compare names, versions and artwork silently. Listening and obtaining the full ringtone happen in the app. A share link identifies the sound; it is not an MP3 file or proof of purchase. After obtaining a tone, finish the phone’s setup and test a call. Keep your own source recording so you can make a different excerpt later.
Related guides
- How to change your iPhone ringtone or set a song
- How to change your Android ringtone to a song
- Is Ringy free? Access, paid features and current prices
- Which audio files work for custom ringtones?
Sources & compatibility
Official setup documentation and US App Store listings reviewed October 18, 2026. Free-labelled examples were checked against Ringy’s live catalogue metadata; native access code was inspected. This was not a purchase, ad-unlock test or full physical-device check, and no fixed checkout price is asserted.
- Apple: Use tones and ringtones
- GarageBand on the US App Store
- Apple: Create a custom ringtone on your iPhone
- Samsung: Set a ringtone on your Galaxy phone
- Google: Change your volume and ringtone settings
- Google: Set an audio file as your ringtone
- Ringy’s current iPhone App Store listing
- Ringy ringtone catalogue
Ringy publishes this guide about its own app and phone setup. Menus can vary by device, OS version and region. For a correction, email help@rin.gy.