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Change WhatsApp’s default message or group sound in the app’s Notifications settings, or set a different tone for one chat from that conversation’s information screen. The labels differ between Android and iPhone, and Android notification settings can sometimes override the sound selected in WhatsApp.
What WhatsApp notification tone do you want to change?
WhatsApp sounds are not all controlled by one setting. Choose the sound type that matches what you want to hear:
- Private-message tone: alerts for one-to-one chats.
- Group-message tone: alerts for group chats.
- Per-chat tone: an override for one particular person or group.
- WhatsApp call ringtone: the sound for incoming WhatsApp voice or video calls. This is separate from message alerts and from the ringtone for ordinary cellular calls.
These are also different from the phone’s general notification sound. On Android, a system notification category can have its own sound. “Conversation tones” may refer to the brief sounds played while a conversation is open, rather than the incoming-message alert. Notification volume, mute or vibrate mode, and Focus or Do Not Disturb can affect whether an alert is audible without changing the selected tone.
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Change the default WhatsApp tone on Android
Private messages
- Open WhatsApp.
- Tap the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner, then tap Settings.
- Tap Notifications.
- Under the message-notification section, tap Notification tone.
- Choose a sound. Tap Save or Done if shown; some versions apply the selection when you return to the previous screen.
The Android path is generally WhatsApp → three-dot menu → Settings → Notifications, though headings and confirmation controls can vary by app version and phone manufacturer. See Android Central’s WhatsApp notification guide for a walkthrough.
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Group messages
- In WhatsApp, open Settings → Notifications.
- Under Group notifications, tap Notification tone.
- Choose the sound and confirm if the screen offers a save or done control.
Changing the private-message tone does not necessarily change the group tone. Test each type separately if you want both to sound the same.
If Android keeps using another sound
Check the phone’s system notification category for WhatsApp. The route varies across Android manufacturers and versions, but it is commonly found under Settings → Apps → WhatsApp → Notifications, or under Settings → Notifications → App notifications → WhatsApp. Open the relevant category—such as message, group, or call notifications—and look for Sound. A category-level sound may control what actually plays even when a different tone is selected inside WhatsApp.
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Change the default WhatsApp tone on iPhone
Private messages
- Open WhatsApp and tap Settings or You, depending on the app interface.
- Tap Notifications.
- Under Message Notifications, tap Sound.
- Choose a tone, then tap Save.
Group messages
- Return to WhatsApp’s Notifications screen.
- Under Group Notifications, tap Sound.
- Choose a tone and tap Save.
WhatsApp’s iPhone controls generally offer a selectable list of alert tones rather than a direct way to import any song or audio file as a message alert. The labels and available options may change with app updates. The message and group controls are described in iDownloadBlog’s WhatsApp tone walkthrough and iMore’s notification guide.
Set a different tone for one person or group
A per-chat tone is useful when you want to recognize one conversation without changing alerts for all your other chats. It can override the default message or group tone.
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Android
- Open the person’s or group’s chat.
- Tap the name at the top of the screen.
- Tap Custom notifications or Notifications.
- If shown, enable Use custom notifications.
- Tap Notification tone, choose a sound, and confirm if prompted.
The same custom-notification screen may also offer Ringtone for calls. That control is separate from the message tone.
iPhone
- Open the chat and tap the person’s or group’s name.
- Tap Notifications or, in some interfaces, Wallpaper & Sound.
- Tap Alert tone or Custom tone, choose a tone, then tap Save if shown.
WhatsApp’s official per-chat tutorial, published May 29, 2024, demonstrates opening a chat, tapping its name, and choosing Notifications → Notification tone. For iPhone-specific steps, see MacRumors’ guide to custom WhatsApp alert tones.
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Change a WhatsApp call ringtone
Incoming WhatsApp voice and video calls are not message notifications. On Android, a per-chat custom-notification screen may include a separate Ringtone option; its availability and labels vary. The Android walkthrough at this WhatsApp ringtone tutorial shows separate notification-tone and ringtone controls. On iPhone, do not assume the message-alert setting or a contact’s ordinary phone ringtone controls WhatsApp calls; call behavior is configured separately and the available controls may differ.
Can you use your own song or audio file?
On iPhone: WhatsApp generally limits message alerts to the tones available in its own selection list. There is no general in-app import option for choosing any song as a WhatsApp message sound.
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On Android: some phones expose user-added notification sounds in the system sound picker, while others do not. A file may need to use a supported audio format and be stored where the phone’s sound picker can find it, such as a notification or ringtone folder. Even when a custom file is available, check the Android notification category because it may retain a different sound.
Why is WhatsApp still playing the old sound?
Work through these checks before reinstalling the app:
- Test a private chat and a group separately. They can use different default tones.
- Check the affected conversation. Open its name or information screen and look for Custom notifications or Notifications. Disable its custom setting or choose the tone you want there.
- Check Android’s WhatsApp notification categories. Inspect the relevant message, group, or call category under the phone’s app-notification settings and check its sound.
- Make sure the chat is not muted. A muted conversation will not behave like an ordinary audible alert.
- Check the phone’s sound state. Silent or vibrate mode, low notification volume, Focus, or Do Not Disturb can prevent an alert from being heard. WhatsApp’s official tutorial notes that conversation-tone volume follows notification volume and that tones do not play when the phone is muted or set to vibrate: WhatsApp tutorial.
- On iPhone, check notification permission. Open iPhone Settings → Notifications → WhatsApp; make sure Allow Notifications and Sounds are enabled. Check active Focus settings as well.
- Reapply the selection. Choose a different tone, save or return, then select the desired tone again. Force-close and reopen WhatsApp; if needed, restart the phone.
- Update the app and operating system. Menu names and notification handling can change between versions.
If the sound still does not change, back up your chats before considering a WhatsApp reinstall. Reinstalling is a last resort, not the first troubleshooting step.
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The steps above are for the Android and iPhone mobile apps. On WhatsApp Web or the desktop app, notification sounds are mainly governed by the computer’s app, browser, and operating-system notification settings; the mobile tone selector may not control them.
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