How to Set a Custom Ringtone on Android

On Android, setting a song as your ringtone is the most direct process of any system: you can set an MP3 file directly as a ringtone from your sound settings, no need to convert it to any special format. The only optional part is trimming it if the full song is too long.

First get the MP3 of the song or sound you want to use with PullVid: paste the link to the video (from YouTube, TikTok, or any supported platform) and download the audio. For the overview of the process, check how to make a free ringtone.

How to set a ringtone on Android step by step

1. Download the MP3: copy the link to the video or song and paste it into the YouTube to MP3 converter (or the matching converter for the platform). The file saves to your phone's Downloads folder.
2. (Optional) Trim the clip: if you only want the chorus, use a free audio-trimming app from the Play Store (a "ringtone maker" or "MP3 cutter"); open the downloaded MP3, mark the start and end, and save the trim.
3. Move the file to the Ringtones folder (optional): some manufacturers automatically detect MP3s in that folder as available ringtones; you can move it with any file manager, though it isn't required.
4. Open Settings → Sound & vibration → Phone ringtone.
5. Select "Add ringtone" or the + icon, find the MP3 (in Downloads or Ringtones), and pick it.

The exact menu varies slightly by manufacturer — Samsung, Xiaomi, Google Pixel, OnePlus — but the path always goes through Settings → Sound, and all of them let you pick your own audio file as a ringtone without converting it first.

Do you need to trim the MP3?

It's not required. Unlike iPhone, Android doesn't enforce a strict duration limit for ringtones: you can set the full song if you want, and it'll play until you answer or the call ends. Even so, we recommend trimming it to 15-30 seconds for a practical reason: you recognize who's calling faster, and the file takes up less space, which helps if you're low on storage.

Free apps to trim audio on Android

There are several free apps on the Play Store built specifically for making ringtones: they let you pick the start and end of the clip with a visual timeline and save the result directly in a compatible format. You can also use any generic free audio editor if you already have one installed. You don't need to pay for any of them — trimming an MP3 is a simple task the free versions handle without watermarks or usage limits.

Ringtone for a specific contact

If you want a specific contact to have a different ringtone from everyone else, open their card in the Contacts app, look for the "Ringtone" option (sometimes under a three-dot menu or "More options"), and select the MP3 the same way you did for the phone's general ringtone.

The same file also works for notifications and alarms

The Settings → Sound selector isn't limited to the ringtone: in the same menu, or very close to it, you'll find "Default notification sound" and "Default alarm sound," and both accept the same MP3 file type you just used for the ringtone. If you like how the trimmed clip turned out, you can also reuse it as your WhatsApp notification sound or as an alarm by selecting the same MP3 from that other menu, no need to trim it again.

How to pick the best clip before trimming

The cut matters as much as the song itself. Avoid starting the ringtone on a silence, a breath, or a stray note: start right on the first drum hit, the opening chord, or the first recognizable word, so you identify the song instantly the moment your phone rings. If it has a catchy chorus, that's usually the best section; if it's a spoken clip or a funny sound effect, pick the punchline. And always test the result at your phone's real volume before finalizing it: a clip that sounds good through headphones can sound different through the phone's small speaker.

If the MP3 doesn't show up in the ringtone list

Some manufacturers only show files saved in specific folders (Ringtones, Notifications, Media/Audio) in the selector. If your MP3 doesn't show up, move it with a file manager to the Ringtones folder in internal storage and reopen Settings → Sound; it should appear in the list.