Set a Ringtone for a Specific Contact on iPhone - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Set a Ringtone for a Specific Contact on iPhone

by

On iPhone, Apple allows you to set custom ringtones for specific contacts, so if you assign one to a person you know, you'll be able to identify them straight away the next time they call you.

Contact Posters iOS 17
Setting a special ringtone for someone in your Contacts app enables you to recognize when that particular person is calling you, without you even having to look at your iPhone's screen.

To know instantly when someone you know is trying to get in touch with you, follow these steps.

Set a Custom Ringtone for a Contact

  1. Launch the Contacts app on your iPhone and select a contact from the list.
  2. Tap Edit in the top-right corner of the screen, then tap the Ringtone field.
  3. Choose one of the sounds that you want to use from the ringtones list.
  4. Tap Done in the top-right corner of the screen, then tap Done again on the next screen.

contacts

That's all there is to it. The next time that person calls you, your iPhone will sound the special ringtone that you chose. Did you know that you can also assign custom alert tones for your WhatsApp contacts? Check out our separate guide to learn how.

Popular Stories

iPhone Handoff Feature

iOS 27 Introduces New 'iPhone Handoff' Feature

Wednesday September 2, 2026 12:35 pm PDT by
Apple has added a new "iPhone Handoff" feature to iOS 27 that will allow you to switch between two iPhones while using the same phone number on each device. This functionality was briefly mentioned during the WWDC 2026 keynote in June, on a slide that listed hundreds of new features coming in iOS 27 and corresponding software updates, but Apple never shared any further details at the time. ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium

New Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 Features Revealed

Sunday August 30, 2026 7:54 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today further outlined what to expect from the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 set to be unveiled on September 9. While it was initially rumored that Touch ID may be coming to the Apple Watch this year, Gurman reiterated that he does not expect the Series 12 or Ultra 4 to have any major design changes compared to the current Series 11 and Ultra 3 models. ...
John Ternus and Rainbow Countour Apple Logo

Apple Just Made a Very Controversial Decision on New CEO's First Day

Wednesday September 2, 2026 6:31 am PDT by
Apple's former hardware engineering chief John Ternus became its CEO on Tuesday, and the company made a controversial decision on his very first day in charge. As of Tuesday, Apple Maps users in the U.S. see the name "Lake America" instead of Lake Ontario for the Great Lake that straddles the New York—Ontario border. Apple made this change after the U.S. Geographic Names Information...