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Has there been any progress on resolving "Ringtone keeps going back to default?" Bought a couple of custom ringtones for fun and placed them on my iPhone and iPadPro. Every few days the custom ringtones revert back to default. I keep resetting them, but soon after they revert back to default. Why pay for custom ringtones when I can't use them?


iPhone XS Max

Posted on Apr 29, 2022 8:33 AM

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Posted on May 6, 2022 10:59 AM

Well, I gave it a try (i.e., fixing problem via iTunes), and it did not work. Let me add a couple of more facts. My iPhone is an XS Max, IOS 15.4.1. I also have an iPad Pro, IOS 15.4.1. iTunes is version 12.12.3.5.


I plugged my iPhone into my computer and opened it under iTunes, as suggested. There was a Tones in the summary, but no ringtones were displayed (same with iPad Pro). No synch button either. On my iPhone and iPad Pro, under Sounds, my purchased ringtones were displayed. I once again hit "Download All Purchased Tones" on both. I selected one purchased ringtone for a default.


Next, I assigned specific ringtones to specific contacts via the edit & done process (which is why I bought multiple ringtones). Everything seemed fixed. The next day, all the ringtones on my iPhone reverted to the default (a purchased ringtone). The ringtones on my iPad Pro remained intact. The annoying thing is that, when I get a message from one of my selected contacts, I get two different ringtones (a default on my iPhone and the selected ringtone on my iPad Pro). So, an obvious question is what is going on with my iPhone that is not going on with my iPad pro, both using the same IOS (at least not yet)?


It is very surprising that this is still an issue since all the products are Apple related - iPhone, iPad Pro, iTunes. For some reason my iPhone is unable to retained the ringtones I have assigned. Maybe this was never possible in the first place with my IPhone.



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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 6, 2022 10:59 AM in response to Iafeef

Well, I gave it a try (i.e., fixing problem via iTunes), and it did not work. Let me add a couple of more facts. My iPhone is an XS Max, IOS 15.4.1. I also have an iPad Pro, IOS 15.4.1. iTunes is version 12.12.3.5.


I plugged my iPhone into my computer and opened it under iTunes, as suggested. There was a Tones in the summary, but no ringtones were displayed (same with iPad Pro). No synch button either. On my iPhone and iPad Pro, under Sounds, my purchased ringtones were displayed. I once again hit "Download All Purchased Tones" on both. I selected one purchased ringtone for a default.


Next, I assigned specific ringtones to specific contacts via the edit & done process (which is why I bought multiple ringtones). Everything seemed fixed. The next day, all the ringtones on my iPhone reverted to the default (a purchased ringtone). The ringtones on my iPad Pro remained intact. The annoying thing is that, when I get a message from one of my selected contacts, I get two different ringtones (a default on my iPhone and the selected ringtone on my iPad Pro). So, an obvious question is what is going on with my iPhone that is not going on with my iPad pro, both using the same IOS (at least not yet)?


It is very surprising that this is still an issue since all the products are Apple related - iPhone, iPad Pro, iTunes. For some reason my iPhone is unable to retained the ringtones I have assigned. Maybe this was never possible in the first place with my IPhone.



May 2, 2022 7:55 AM in response to RolloTomasi

Hey there,


What my friend Katana-San suggested to you was true Restarting the phone is usually a solution to such software problems, however if restarting the phone does not fix your problem, follow these steps:


If the ringtone you are using is a purchased one, then what I strongly suggest is to delete the ringtone temporarily and then redownload it. 

Follow this guide on how to remove the purchased ringtone and re-add:

  1. Connect your iPhone to the computer and launch iTunes. Click on your device icon and go to the Summary tab
  2. Find and click on Tones
  3. Tick the box beside Sync Tones and ten also mark Selected Tones
  4. Navigate to your desired tones and click Apply

Doing this will delete all the ringtones on your iPhone except those you have selected. 

  1. To redownload the ringtones, go to your Settings on the iPhone
  2. Head over to Sounds
  3. Select Download All Purchased Tones

Just make sure that you have the same Apple ID used on your previous purchase and on this current redownload. Otherwise, it won’t go through.

After redownloading the ringtone, make sure to set it correctly:

  • Go to Sounds & Haptics from the Settings of your iPhone
  • Open Ringtone or Sounds (depending on your iOS model)
  • Set the ringtone correctly


May 6, 2022 11:24 AM in response to RolloTomasi

Thank you for giving us those details!


This is a bit strange what is happening with your iPhone, but it’s okay there are other steps we can try that could solve this problem.


If your iPhone ringtone keeps changing to default after you have deleted and readded the song/s, the next thing you should consider is your Settings. 

Misbehaving settings can also cause ringtone failure. Fortunately, you can easily reset all the settings on your iPhone without data loss. 

Go to Settings > General > transfer or reset > reset > reset all settings!


Once you reset all settings on the iPhone, it will ask you to log in back to your Wi-Fi network. Simply input the password to go back to your ringtone resolution. 

Your iPhone will restart and once it’s ready, set your ringtones and test if the issue is resolved.


Hope that’s solve this issue, keep us informed!

May 11, 2022 7:59 AM in response to Iafeef

I performed the suggested reset and logged back into my Wi-Fi network.  I then reassigned ringtones to individual contacts, as before.  I did this for my iPhone and iPad Pro.  It did not resolve the issue.


However, I did notice something interesting.  With the Contact app on my iPhone and iPad Pro open and placed side-by-side, I noticed that the act of assigning an individual ringtone on one device immediately caused the ringtone assignment for that individual on the other device to revert to the default.  I tested this behavior both ways (i.e., iPhone vs iPad Pro & iPad Pro vs iPhone).  This happened whether or not I used the same purchased ringtone for a particular contact or not.  I should also

note that a purchased unassigned ringtone was the default on both devices, and this is what both devices reverted to.  I don’t know if this is an iTunes or device issue.  I had understood, perhaps wrongly, that purchased ringtones could be used on all of my personal devices.


So, at the moment, at least, it appears that I have to choose which device I want to have individual ringtone assignments.  I chose the iPhone.

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