HOW TO SYNC YOUR RINGTONES TO THE iPHONE

1. Open iTunes and make sure that your iPhone is connected to your computer.

2. Click on DEVICES -> APPS -> scroll down to FILE SHARING -> highlight the tones you wish to sync -> click on the SAVE TO button at the bottom and save this, for easy access, to a file (maybe title it My Ringtones) on your desktop.

3. Go back to LIBRARY -> and drag your tones, from your desktop file, to the (bell icon) TONES (this took the place of the RINGTONES tab under DEVICES -> APPS, if you are not showing this icon then go to EDIT -> PREFERENCES -> GENERAL tab and make sure that the TONES box is checked).

4. Click on the arrow just left of the name of your device. You will see a list of folders.

5. Drag your ringtones to the (bell icon) TONES.

6. Check on your iPhone -> Settings -> Sounds and the new ringtones should be at the top.

iPhone 4S, Windows 7

Posted on Jan 6, 2012 4:35 PM

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Posted on Oct 21, 2017 4:01 PM

Okay, so, I figured out how to copy them over (although I'd still like to be able to organize ringtones on the phone into folders). I connected the phone to the computer, after which iTunes started. I clicked the Device icon in iTunes, to select the phone, and then clicked on Tones under "On My Device" in the left-hand menu.


I then opened an Explorer window on the PC, containing some ringtones (.m4r files), selected some, and dragged them into the Tones area in iTunes. At first they indicted they would only be linked, but then copied over to the phone.

123 replies

May 18, 2013 6:58 PM in response to cmrrn

Hi there,

I am not very computer saavy.. i have read all the replies etc. I have an IPHONE 4s and am trying to download zedge ring tones to my iphone from my mac. I am doing what everyone is suggesting and have been at it for hours and want to cry. ( I am obviously a female, overtired, frustrated, and want to throw my phone and computer out the f*&% window ). Can anyone help me?

I have connected my phone to the computer, logged into my itunes account, logged into my zedge account, selected my ringtones, hit the download button. I am stuck at syncing it.

I have gone into preferences, devices... there is no app selection anywhere in my itunes preferences or itunes keybar up top.. cant remember what you call it..Somehow I got a ringtone to download into my itunes tones area. I dragged it over to my iphone icon.. it said syncing.. and yet my ringtones are not there.. ***??!!

Can anyone help me..sorry .. very very very frustrated.

Thanks much.

Jun 17, 2013 1:54 PM in response to cmrrn

Folks, there is a BUG in iTunes 11.0.4. If you've reached the step where your ringtone is visible in iTunes, but is refusing to sync with your phone, you've hit it.


  1. Under Devices, select your phone.
  2. Up at the top you'll see a series of "Tabs" (they look more like buttons to me).
  3. Click on "Tones" and I'll bet you "All Tones" is selected for you.
  4. Change it to "Selected Tones" and select all your tones, otherwise what you do have on your phone is deleted.
  5. Sync and your tone should show up on the phone.


That should do it. Just remember, the "All Tones" sync selection is busted.

Jun 29, 2013 7:45 AM in response to klh39v

Ok so none of this is working for me. I had to reset my phone this pass weekend (iPhone 4S) and I'm trying to restore everything but the ringtones won't show up on my device. I've tried deselecting "all ringtones" and using "selected tones" I've tried in syncing and resyncing. In iTunes it shows that the tones are on my phone but for whatever reason my phone is unaware. I even powered off my phone and turned it back on hoping that would do something. Again, nada. Why do I have to go through all this again? This is my first and last apple product indefinitely. All this crap just for a ringtone? Unacceptable!

Jul 16, 2013 12:45 PM in response to cmrrn

I have finally gotten it to work!!!!!!!!!!


It has only taken me 4-Weeks to add a ringtone to this new iPhone 4S, I have been issued at my new job when hired. Having used BB's (work) and Android (personal) phones forever, this iPhone stuff not working is just plain annoying. I am extremely computer literate and I have even had other iPhone users that have had iPhones for years try and put the ringtone on my phone and even they got frustrated and gave up.


There has got to be a glitch in the software somewhere that is causing everyones problems, because the steps to accomplish it are extremely simple.



I just wish I knew how to tell everyone else how I made it work.



I have followed the directions for countless hours and it has never worked and today after 2-1/2-Hours trying again, it just worked on about the 50th attempt.

Aug 19, 2013 9:23 AM in response to josiefromqld

Did you manage to drag your tones OK? I used iringer to create the tones for me and were exported to itunes.However when i try and drag and drop a single ringtone into the Tones bell symbol i get a red no entry sign showing and am unable to do anything.If i click on sync to sync all my tones a warning comes up to say all my music will be deleted as well! 😮 This is my first foray into the Apple world,Android beckons as customisation with Android is easy, whereas Apple is hard 😠.......dave.

Aug 19, 2013 9:43 AM in response to sunviews

I have used iringer to create and export to itunes the required ringtones,however when i try and drag and drop a single ringtone from the library tones to my tones section in the devices i get a no entry symbol and therefore doesn't do any thing!But if i click on sync in my library tones to sync all my tones ( I only want to add one at the moment ) I get a warning stating that my music will be deleted as well!😮 What gives and why is it so hard in IOS?😠...............Dave.

Aug 26, 2013 6:05 AM in response to klh39v

Download and install ( with installer ) iringer from iringer .net The process is simple but i can't get it to export to my iphone,it will only export to itunes so you must sync.I don't know if it erases your music when you do sync,if it does you will have to drag and drop the music files back to your phone any questions reply to me here or my email is: davedicko1701@yahoo.com ............Dave.🙂

Aug 27, 2013 6:20 AM in response to algaefarmer

Like i said earlier,I use iringer ( installed with the installer)I am trying to help people with regard to ringtones etc NOT as you say "con" someone in this discussion.Not once did i mention that it is without Tech support ( my emails have gone unanswered as well )but it has still worked for me,as to wether the exe file works for you or not is your problem not mine!So please keep your derogatory comments to yourself.

Aug 27, 2013 10:50 AM in response to cmrrn

So I purcahsed a Galaxy S4 about a month ago and would you likw how easy it is to set custom ringtones?


1) Download Zedge from the Play Store


2) Search trough the library of over 10,000 ringtones and alerts for what you want (They also have thousands of stadard and live wallpapers...although iPhone user know nothing of live wallpapers)


3) click on it for a preview


4) click the icon to download which, after it's complete (take literally seconds) changes to a 'set as' button


5) click on 'set as' button and set as what ever you like, main, contact, messages, email, whatever.


And you're done in minutes without ever leaving the app, or moving things from folder to folder, or connecting to some stupid interface progam on your computer, or having to contact tech support or go to a stupid forum to find out how to do something so simple. So why is the iPhone so great again?

Aug 28, 2013 9:55 PM in response to davedicko

Apple Solution! Simply said, is to download Cocaomug Software's iRingtones version 1.1.1 from www.cocoamug.com/iringtones which by the way, is a seamless and efficient solution for iPhone 5.


I think someone who is Apple Traditional would benefit from this discussion more quickly to keep Apple software in the Macintosh environment instead of resorting to 'Microsloth foolishness' as a solution to iTunes ringtones.


Boy, I can't wait until the new features for iOS 7 are installed on my mobile device next month. It only gets great.


Enjoy the age of Apple,


John Ernest Clausen III

Aug 31, 2013 1:20 AM in response to Downshift Artist

One thing is that this is an Apple forum in which you have entered, another is Cheap imitation Samsung devices are not what bring out the best in today's pocket computer savy demands, concurrently. And incedently, Theme My Phone app by Funsail also has

User uploaded file
which too, is an seamless process for those whom use other Apple devices. Without language hang-ups or techno-bable afflictions.

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HOW TO SYNC YOUR RINGTONES TO THE iPHONE

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