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How to customize Galaxy Note 4 notification tone?

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In addition to customizing the Galaxy Note 4 ringtones (see this guide), you can also customize Galaxy Note 4 notification tone easily. This guide will show you how to set customized message tone for some special contacts and how to use yoru own audio file as notification tone.

Table of Contents hide
1) How to customize Galaxy Note 4 notification tone by changing the default notification tone?
2) How to customize Galaxy Note 4 notification tone with your own audio files?
3) How to customize Galaxy Note 4 notification tone for your loved (or special) ones?
4) What about notification tone of apps?
5) How to customize WhatsApp notification tone for individual contact?
5.1) Can you customize Galaxy Note 4 notification tone? Can you set different message tones for some contacts?

How to customize Galaxy Note 4 notification tone by changing the default notification tone?

The default notification tone (whistle) in Galaxy Note 4 is not bad. But if there are any whistles in a public area, you may not know whether it is from your Galaxy Note 4.

So, the first thing you can do is to customize Galaxy Note 4 notification tone by choosing a different one.

Go to Settings—Sound, tap Notifications as shown below.

If you are asked to select an app to finish the action, choose Media storage – Just once as shown below.

How_to_customize_Galaxy_Note_4_notification_tone_1_settings_sound How_to_customize_Galaxy_Note_4_notification_tone_2_select_apps

Now, you can select one of the available notification tones in your Galaxy Note 4.

Tap any of them to choose it as the new default notification tone.

For example, I choose Beep Once. Then tap Done.

Once you are brought back to the Settings—Sound page, you will notice the  new default notification tone was assigned as shown below.

ow_to_customize_Galaxy_Note_4_notification_tone_3_notification_toneHow_to_customize_Galaxy_Note_4_notification_tone_4_notification_tone_changed

In this way, you can customize Galaxy Note 4 notification tone by choosing any of the pre-installed notification tones.

How to customize Galaxy Note 4 notification tone with your own audio files?

You are NOT limited by the pre-installed notification tones in Galaxy Note 4.  You can customize Galaxy Note 4 notification tone with your own audio files (e.g., music, your own voice recording).

You can use any audio files (as long as they can be recognized by Galaxy Note 4) as your notification tone.

The audio format can be mp3, m4a and many others.

The audio files can be in the phone or in your PC.

So, this is the most popular way to customize notification tone because you can use very  unique notification tones, not just the pre-installed ones.

You just copy the audio files to the Notifications folder in the phone storage.

For example, if the MP3 file is on your PC, you can connect your Note 4 to the PC with the USB cable.  Once the phone is recognized by the PC, you can copy the MP3 file to the Notifications folder in the phone storage as shown below.

How_to_customize_Galaxy_Note_4_notification_tone_5_copy_mp3_from_pc

Once the audio file, e.g., the m4a file “Feels Like Rain”  is put in the Notifications folder, it can be used  exactly as the pre-installed  notification tones.

You can go to Settings—Sound—Notifications. Choose this m4a file and tap  Done to set this audio as the default notification tone as shown below.

Now, this audio file becomes Galaxy Note 4 default notification tone.

How_to_customize_Galaxy_Note_4_notification_tone_6_choose_customized_tone How_to_customize_Galaxy_Note_4_notification_tone_7_own_audio_file_used

If the audio file is in the phone, you may use ES File explorer (or some other apps) to set it as the notification tone directly. Of course, you can use My Files app to copy the audio file to the Notifications folder.

How to customize Galaxy Note 4 notification tone for your loved  (or special) ones?

You can not only customize Galaxy Note 4 default notification tone, but also customize notification tone (message tone) for individuals in your contact list.

So, each contact can have a special notification tone so that you can easily know who is messaging you without checking the screen.

Let’s start.

Start the Contacts app on your Galaxy Note 4 and open the contact.

Tap the pencil (edit) button in the top of the contact as shown below.

Tap “Add another field” as shown below.

How_to_customize_Galaxy_Note_4_notification_tone_8_edit_contact How_to_customize_Galaxy_Note_4_notification_tone_9_edit_contact_add_field

Check Message tone and then tap OK.

If you are asked to select an app to finish the action, tap Media storage, then tap Just once as shown below. 

How_to_customize_Galaxy_Note_4_notification_tone_10_edit_contact_message_toneHow_to_customize_Galaxy_Note_4_notification_tone_10_1_select_media_storage

Now select the desired notification tone foe this contact.

You can choose one notification tone from the available notification tones, which includes both pre-installed notifications tones and any audio files in the Notifications folder.

Once selected, tap Done to return as shown below.

You can notice now the Message tone for this contact is customized to the tone you selected.

Please remember, you are still in contact editing mode. You must tap Save in the top right as shown below to save the modifications. Otherwise, nothing will be changed!!!!!!

How_to_customize_Galaxy_Note_4_notification_tone_10_2_select_tone_for_contactHow_to_customize_Galaxy_Note_4_notification_tone_11_save_customization

After saving the modifications, you now can find the message tone is customized  as shown below.

How_to_customize_Galaxy_Note_4_notification_tone_12_customized_notificaiton_tone_for_individual

What about notification tone of apps?

Most apps use system notification settings. But some apps may have their own settings.

So, you need check individual apps if it has its own notification tone setttings.

How to customize WhatsApp notification tone for individual contact?

For WhatsApp messages, you can customize the notification tone for each contact so that you can easily know who is messaging you.

WhatsApp can use the ringtone settings in your contact. Please note WhatsApp does not use the message tone in the contact.

This can be a bit confusing, because you may have problems to know whether the contact is calling you or messaging you through WhatsApp.

Start WhatsApp app.

Tap the menu key (3 vertical dots in top right).

Tap Settings.

Tap Notifications as shown below.

Tap Contact ringtone to check it.

How_to_customize_Galaxy_Note_4_notification_tone_13_whatsapp_settings_notifciation How_to_customize_Galaxy_Note_4_notification_tone_14_whatsapp_contact_ringtone

Can you customize Galaxy Note 4 notification tone? Can you set different message tones for some contacts?

If you have any  questions to customize Galaxy Note 4 notification tone and messages tone, please let us know them in the comment box below. We will try to help you find a solution.

More how-to guides , tips and tricks for using Samsung Galaxy Note 4 are available at Galaxy Note 4 how-to guides page.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Junayd Ansari says

    I can’t find the notifications folder on my note 4.i even tried the search bar in the default My Files app but it’s not there. My note 4 runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow

    Reply

  2. Andy says

    Hi,

    is it possible to have a different notification tone for delivery reports than for text? It seems to ba a 1 tone does all notifications on the note 4 and can get confusing. Thx

    Reply

  3. Alex says

    I have just customised my notification tones so I can personalise my contacts message tones with the tones I have downloaded. Thank you soooo much for explaining it in simple terms of how to do it with the my files app.
    Alex D

    Reply

  4. Jessica says

    I am getting so irritated. I have set the notification tones for my individual contacts, but yet I keep hearing the default when a text comes in…. What is going on???

    Reply

  5. Lisa says

    my galaxy s4 does not have an option for “Message Tone” when I add another field. What’s up with that? I really need to assign certain tones to contacts (work people) who text me. Thanks!

    Reply

  7. wolffjw@yahoo.com says

    How can I turn off all audible notifications for a specific contact?
    I want to hear my regular contacts, but for one contact, I do not want to hear notification when he calls or text me.

    Reply

  8. Peggy says

    I have done everything to set up individual text message+ notifications for contacts & I cannot get it to work.

    Reply

  9. Jennifer says

    Is there a way to have one sound for your notifications, and one sound for when you get a text message? I use to be able to do this on my Galaxy phone, but can’t figure it out on the Note 4.

    Reply

  10. David Lewis says

    I am eperiencing the same thing that Catherine was with the message notification sound. No matter what I did it would always default to the whistle. I did not experience this until I did an annoying update that kept coming up almost everytime I picked up my phone for anything. I did not even want the update. Now I have different things that i have to live with that I dont even like near as much. Why don’t they give you an option to decline updates? The only option given was to postpone it for a later time. Anyway, Thanks Catherine! That worked for me. ~ David

    Reply

  11. Catheirne Watson says

    On my note 4 the message tone wouldn’t change from default even though it was saying that it had, I found that when I went into ‘Messages’ and clicked on the 3 dots on the right hand side there was a drop down menu, from here go to ‘settings’, ‘notifications’ and the ‘notification sound’ and select the sound you want. This has now changed the sound to the one that I want and only for messages not every other notification.

    Reply

  12. LeahSL says

    My Note 4 keeps sounding the default notification tone I’ve set for notifications but when I check my phone, there are no new notifications. I have also shut off the notification alerts for most of my apps except Facebook, Whatsapp and text messaging (all of which I have set up personalised notification tones). I’m really confused by this default notification tone that keeps sounding but just don’t know where it may be coming from.

    Reply

  13. lindsay says

    just “notifications” isn’t an option. it says “notifications ringtone” and i must select from there. is it my carrier? at&t? Or there was another option presented: phone storage on the computer. but how do I find that? i feel like i should the answer already but i was told i had to dl kies for anything regarding the phone since i have a mac…
    thank you if you can help and still thanks for your time if not.

    Reply

  14. Helen Redmon says

    How can I set a different ringtone for my personnal email from my text message? right now it is all the same ringtone

    Reply

  16. kiks says

    Id like to know how to change the notifiacation for voicemail, because right now my sms and voicemail have the same tones. Thanks in advance.

    Reply

  17. wayne says

    I’ve done everything you said to change individual’s notification tones. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong but it will not work for me.

    Reply

  19. Mike C. says

    It would be nice if the Galaxy Note 4 would allow you to set up different sound notifications for different apps or different email accounts (e.g., AOL, Yahoo, etc.). I want to receive notifications for my work email, but not AOL. The AOL does not allow for setting the notifications.

    Reply

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