How to make an iPhone ringtone from a video

You can do the whole thing on your iPhone in about a minute. No computer and no app to install.

What you need

  • A video with the sound you want, in your Photos library or the Files app.
  • Safari, or another browser, to open Tonecut.

Steps

  1. Open Tonecut and tap Choose a video. Pick the video from your Photo Library or from Files.
  2. Drag the amber handles to the part you want. Tap play to hear it. A ringtone can be up to 29.5 seconds.
  3. Under Save as, choose iPhone ringtone, then tap Make iPhone ringtone.
  4. When the result shows checked, tap Save file. The .m4r file goes to the Files app, under Downloads.
  5. In the Files app, open the file’s Share menu and choose Use as Ringtone.
  6. To change it later, go to Settings › Sounds & Haptics › Ringtone.

To give one person their own ringtone, open their card in Contacts, tap Edit, then Ringtone.

If you don’t see “Use as Ringtone”

Older versions of iOS don’t have this option. Use one of these instead.

With GarageBand, on the phone

  1. In Tonecut, choose Ringtone MP3 and save it. GarageBand can’t import .m4r files, so use the MP3.
  2. In GarageBand, start an Audio Recorder project, open the loop browser, and drag your MP3 in from the Files tab.
  3. Go to My Songs, long-press the project, then Share › Ringtone › Export.

With a Mac or PC

  1. Make an iPhone ringtone (.m4r) in Tonecut on your computer.
  2. Connect your iPhone and open it in Finder (Mac) or the Apple Devices app (Windows).
  3. Drag the .m4r file onto the iPhone.

Troubleshooting

The default ringtone plays instead of mine

The iPhone couldn’t read the file, or it was 30 seconds or longer. Make it again in Tonecut and check that the result line says checked: Tonecut plays every .m4r back on your device before you save it. If it gives you an MP3 instead, use the GarageBand steps above.

The file is greyed out in GarageBand

GarageBand doesn’t import .m4r files. Choose Ringtone MP3 in Tonecut and import that.

The ringtone is silent or very quiet

Tick Boost volume before you make the file. It raises the clip to full volume without distorting it.

Make a ringtone now