How to Change Default Notification Sound on iPhone

One of the fun ways to customize your iPhone experience is to change the default alert sound effect to something you like or prefer.

For a long time, the default alert sound effect was Tri-Tone and could not be changed, and then with later iOS releases Apple changed the default alert sound to the Rebound sound effect. But in the most recent versions of iPhone system software, you can change the default alert sound to anything you want it to be, whether it’s Tri-Tone, Rebound, or anything else.

Changing the Default Alert Sound on iPhone

Here’s how you can change your default notification sound effect on iPhone:

1. Open the “Settings” app on iPhone
2. Go to “Sound & Haptics”
3. Select “Default Alerts”



4. Select the alert sound you want to set as the new default notification sound on iPhone



5. Exit Settings when satisfied

You can use any of the sound effects that Apple provides, including tri-tone and Rebound, or you can use any other, or even a custom ringtone or text tone that you either created yourself from a song or in GarageBand, or downloaded from Apple.

If you do not see the option to change the default sound effect for notifications on iPhone, you will need to update your iPhone to iOS 17.2 or later. Earlier versions of iOS do not support this capability.

A lot of iPhone users were perplexed to discover their default notification sound changed from Tri-Tone to the new Rebound sound, and not all users like the new sound, and some find it hard to hear. Of course many others love the new sound effect too. But, the joy of customization, is that you can choose what you like, and you can select whatever notification sound you want to hear for alerts on your iPhone, and that is exactly what this customization option offers.

Remember, this is changing the default alert sound, it won’t change your text tone, ringtone, email sound, or other sound effects, though you can change those too within the same Sounds & Haptics settings on your device.

Do you like the new default Rebound alert sound on iPhone? Do you prefer the older Tri-Tone alert notification sound on iPhone? Do you enjoy setting a completely custom default alert sound on your iPhone? Share with us your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.