Change iPhone's Default Notification Sound - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Change iPhone's Default Notification Sound

by

In iOS 17.2 and later, Apple lets you customize the alert tone used by your iPhone for default notifications. This is good news for anyone who does not like the "Rebound" tone that Apple introduced in iOS 17.

ios 17 default alert
In previous versions of iOS, Apple allowed users to choose a ring tone and a text tone, as well as custom alert sounds for email, calendar, and reminder alerts. Anything else that threw up notifications used a default sound, and there was no way to change it.

With iOS 17, Apple then changed the original default alert sound, from "Tri-tone" to "Rebound." Many users disliked the change, with some arguing that the new sound is harder to hear. So the ability in iOS 17.2 and later to change the default sound to whatever you like is a welcome addition.

To change the tone - as well as the haptic vibration – of notifications from apps that use the default sound, follow these steps.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Sounds & Haptics.
  3. Select Default Alerts.
  4. Choose a sound for the alert tone. You can use one from Apple's built-in options, buy a tone from the Tone Store, or opt for no sound (None) instead.
  5. To change the accompanying haptic vibration, tap through to Haptics. There you can choose a vibration from the pre-set options, make your own via Create New Vibration, or opt for None.

settings

After completing the steps above, any notification sound that uses the default alert tone will use the sound you selected. If you're not happy with your changes, you can use the same steps to revert to the original "Rebound" default alert.

Popular Stories

Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching in September With These 10 New Features

Monday April 20, 2026 7:13 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not launching until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component will be moved under the...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple CEO Tim Cook Stepping Down, John Ternus Taking Over

Monday April 20, 2026 1:33 pm PDT by
Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down as Apple's chief executive officer, and hardware engineering chief John Ternus is set to take over, Apple announced today. Cook will continue on as Apple CEO through the summer, with Ternus set to join Apple's Board of Directors and take over as CEO on September 1, 2026. Cook is going to transition to executive chairman, and he will "assist with certain...
iphone 17 ceramic shield

Leaker: Apple Downgrading iPhone 18 to Cut Costs

Monday April 20, 2026 9:12 am PDT by
Apple is downgrading the planned specifications of the standard iPhone 18 to cut costs, a leaker claims. In a new post on Weibo, the user known as "Fixed Focus Digital" said that the iPhone 18 features "certain manufacturing downgrades" that bring it more into line with the low-cost iPhone 18e model. The decision is said to be "a cost-cutting measure." Apple has apparently chosen to...