Custom tones dissapeared after iOS 17 update

I took your advice and reported it to Apple. Hope it gets fixed, because it's a pain in the ***! I guess until then, no customizing already set textones or contact sounds, unless it's a ringtone. So stupid. So inaccessible. I count on my phone making certain noises to indicate certain people and events. And I like custom tones, because it sets them apart from everyone else who has an iphone!

No!!. This is what I’m saying. Notice under the text tones I USED to be able to

also set a text tone FROM the ring tone options. So in this screenshot I USED to be able to select Apex(Ringtone) as a text sound!!! Does anybody in this discussion understand what I’m saying??? THIS no longer shows up as an option and needs to be fixed ASAP!!!!

Apparently this isn't a bug but done purposely, the only text tones (affects new voicemail, new mail, sent mail, calendar & reminders) you can now use are purchased ones which are their bought ones but not your own free ones however custom ones as noted by others are only visible to ringtones. Apple being Apple have also reduced the volume of text tones (something to do with EU something or other - there are articles on this on the web and many complaining) so there is no bug and not likely to be a fix as it seems a decision has been taken to do just this. Apple like to dictate how you use their products now seemingly how loud your text tones are, to me it's the final straw and another reason now to go to Android. Pointless raising issues and wasting your time sending feedback they pay no attention to it so you either put up & shut up or jump ship.

True, but if you tap into the menu settings to choose a new tone, it disconnects the previous tone entirely and *poof* you're now stuck with nothing to choose from. This is what happened to me and how I discovered this issue.

Whether this be a bug or by design, it's still very frustrating for those of us who love to customize our phones.

As with the previous iOS 16 update, I had to re-install all my ringtones and text tones. So I did the same with this update... BUUUUT... Found out the text tones are broken.

Seems like a huge step back that users can no longer use purchased or custom tones for anything else but ringtones, and if custom contact ringtones and textones are used, they still work as they should, but the user cannot change them, except to the newer crappy tones, or the classic ones. Very disappointing indeed. Almost worthy of a downgrade.

razmee209 wrote:

If you already set a custom text tone to your contacts it still works it didn't go away with ios 17. Each personalized custom tone I have for my contacts still works. So yes I can still differentiate who is texting me.

If you so much as tap on the tone option to check, it will remove the custom one. That was my mistake.

The text tone I had previously is no longer found on text setting. But it is found on phone settings.

does anyone know WHY Apple did this on iPhone? What is their explanation for the change? I’d love to hear it

They also removed the "Illuminate" text tone on the 17.1.2 software update, and kept it for the phone ringtone list.

I'm having the same problem and when I click on "Download All Purchased Tones" they won't download again. When I go to the iTunes Store I see the ringtones but now I have to RE-purchase them. I'm really hoping this is just a glitch with iOS 17.0.1 because I just purchased these ringtones a couple of days ago and Mama ain't happy!

The issue is as follows:

Custom ringtones AND text tones are currently added to the Ringtones folder.

Apple removed the Ringtones section (which accesses the Ringtones folder) from the Text Tones selection screen (Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Text Tone/New Email/etc.).

To resolve this, Apple needs to create a Text Tones folder where custom text tones can be exported to, say from apps like GarageBand.

Hello ~ Apple doesn’t “read the room” here but perhaps here…

Product Feedback - Apple

I just got off the phone with a pleasant Apple representative and they are aware and working on this matter.

~Katana-San~

Morris1938 wrote:

What would be their reason to decrease volume? I am partially deaf and relied on the volume up/down to be able to hear sound. Apple is making it extremely difficult for users to want to keep their phones. Wonder how many people jump ship b/c of this??

Again, we aren't apple and we can't speak for them. I'd guess not many are jumping ship, when their sales keep going up and they have recently broken the $3Trillion cap.

I would find being forced to use paid tones again annoying, but that isn't even the case. It's not that I can't use just custom tones, but even purchased tones don't appear in the list of tones one can use for things like textone, reminder alerts, calendar alerts, etc. For every other instance but strictly ringtones, I'm limited to the new tones and the classic, with no options for my purchased tones or my custom tones. Of course there's a button to go to the tone store, but nothing else.

Morris1938 wrote:

I may jump ship. The ONLY reason I have an Iphone is b/c my sons gave it to me. Everyone in my immediate family has an Iphone. Most of my extended family members have Androids and are happy with them. May ask for Android for Christmas, or buy myself a new phone.

If an Android is a better option for you, then by all means get an Android. We're just users on this user to user only forum, so what phone you choose is your business.

thetrooper1985 wrote:

Has anyone noticed that after the update to IOS 17, the ability to have custom text or notification tones have disappeared?

I am not bothered about the stock tones by Apple, and loved having the option to have custom tones. This seems a step backwards for users

All of my custom ring/text/alarm tone are still on my phone on ios 17.