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How to make a notification or text tone

A notification tone is just a very short, distinctive sound — think 3 to 8 seconds — that you'll recognize instantly when your phone buzzes. Making one is the same idea as a ringtone, only shorter and punchier. You can cut one from any sound in your browser in a couple of minutes.

This uses the free AudioTrim editor, and your file stays on your device.

Step by step

  1. Open a sound. Drag any audio — a song, a chime, a voice clip — onto audiotrim.app.
  2. Pick a short, catchy moment. Play through and find 3–8 seconds that stand out. For a text tone, shorter is better; you want it to register in an instant.
  3. Select it. Drag across the waveform to highlight your clip. Zoom in for a tight, precise selection.
  4. Trim. Click Trim to keep just that snippet.
  5. Add a quick fade out. A short Fade out stops the tone cleanly instead of clipping off. A tiny Fade in smooths the start.
  6. Download as MP3. 192 kbps is plenty for a short tone. Save it.
Length matters: notification and text tones work best at 3–8 seconds — long enough to notice, short enough not to annoy. Save longer clips (20–30 seconds) for a full ringtone instead.

Setting it as your tone

Android

Copy the MP3 to your phone, then go to Settings → Sound → Notification sound (or Default notification sound) and pick your file. Many phones also let you set per-app notification sounds.

iPhone

iPhone notification and text tones are managed through GarageBand (import the clip, then share it as a ringtone) and selected under Settings → Sounds & Haptics. Apple caps tones at 30 seconds, so a short clip is well within range.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a notification tone be?

3–8 seconds is the sweet spot. Text tones can be even shorter — a second or two of a distinctive sound.

What's the difference from a ringtone?

Mainly length. Ringtones run 20–30 seconds since the phone rings a while; notification tones are short bursts. The editing steps are the same. See how to make a ringtone.

Can I use any sound?

Yes — a song, a chime, even your own recorded voice. For personal use, sounds you own are safest.

What format do I need?

MP3 works across Android directly; for iPhone you'll convert it to a ringtone via GarageBand.

Make your tone now →

Related: How to make a ringtone · How to add fades · All guides