How to change your WhatsApp ringtone on Samsung

Choose the WhatsApp call sound

This route follows Samsung Australia’s documentation. Labels and available controls can vary with your Galaxy model, software and WhatsApp version.

1. Open your phone’s Settings, choose Apps, and select WhatsApp.
2. Open Notifications → Notification categories.
3. Select Call notifications → Sound.
4. Choose an available tone, then return to the previous screen.

Choose the call category rather than a message category. If you meant calls to your normal phone number, follow the Samsung phone ringtone guide.

If Notification categories is missing

Open Settings → Notifications → Advanced settings. Enable Manage notification categories for each app, then return to WhatsApp’s notification settings.

Samsung notes that categories depend on the app. If the call category still is not present, check the sound options offered inside your installed WhatsApp version and its help. Do not reset your phone just to find this menu.

Within an available category, check that Allow notifications is enabled and Alert is selected rather than Silent before choosing Sound.

Can I use a Ringy sound?

Open Ringy to find a sound, then check what your installed version lets you save or export. Setting your normal ringtone in Ringy does not establish that WhatsApp uses it. Return to WhatsApp’s call sound picker and choose the sound there if it is listed.

If you already have a permitted local audio file but it is absent, Samsung Australia directs users to place it in the phone’s Notifications folder. Our Android notification-file guide explains that step. Keep a copy of the original and confirm that it plays first.

Do not assume every catalogue sound can be exported separately. Access and export options depend on the sound and app version; see Ringy access guidance. This website does not provide full audio downloads.

Test WhatsApp separately from normal calls

Our recommended check is to have someone call through WhatsApp while your phone is idle, then call your normal number separately. Listen for the intended sound in each test. Previewing a sound inside Ringy does not test either incoming-call setting.

If you changed a message category, send a message as a separate check. Keep a note of your previous sound so you can restore it. These are recommended checks, not a claim that we performed a WhatsApp call test on your model.

If WhatsApp is still silent

Check that WhatsApp notifications and the call category are allowed. Samsung also recommends checking Do not disturb, whether the app is in a deep-sleeping state, notification volume, and Accessibility → Hearing enhancements → Mute all sounds. Adjust relevant settings and test again.

If normal calls are silent too, use the silent ringtone checklist. If the file itself will not play, check supported audio sources before changing more settings.

Does this work on iPhone?

These steps are for Samsung Android. An iPhone does not have this Samsung notification-category menu. Our iPhone ringtone guide covers normal phone calls; WhatsApp-specific iPhone behavior needs separate verification.

Related guides

• Change notification sounds on Android, Samsung and Pixel
• How to change your Samsung ringtone to a song
• A custom ringtone is missing or not playing: what to check
• Which audio files work for custom ringtones?