How to set a custom ringtone or notification sound on a Samsung Galaxy

What changed: new screenshots of the audio-access question and the sound picker with its Tracks, Albums, Artists and Folders tabs.

howtosimply.com/guides/how-to-set-a-custom-ringtone-or-notification-sound-on-a-samsung-galaxy/ · Checked October 2026 · Samsung Galaxy A57 5G (SM-A576B), One UI 8.5, Android 16

5 of 5 steps with real screenshots · 4 official sources below

Device

Android

Shown on

Samsung Galaxy A57 5G (SM-A576B), One UI 8.5, Android 16

App

Settings

Path

Settings › Sounds and vibration › Ringtone

Real screenshots

5 of 5 steps

Our phone

Shown on Galaxy A57, One UI 8.5

Checked

October 2026

Sources

4 official, linked below

Step by step

1. 

   Open Ringtone

   Open Settings, Sounds and vibration and tap Ringtone. Ours uses Galaxy Bells.

   Watch these steps Done

2. 

   Tap + to add your own

   The + at the top right opens the sound picker for your own audio files.

   Done

3. 

   Allow access to audio

   The first time, the phone asks whether Sound picker may access music and audio on this device. Tap Allow so the picker can list your audio files.

   Done

4. 

   Pick the song

   The sound picker lists the audio saved on the phone, sorted by Tracks, Albums, Artists or Folders at the bottom. Tap the circle next to a track. Ours only had Over the Horizon, Samsung's own song that comes with Galaxy phones.

   Done

5. 

   Change the notification sound

   Back on Sounds and vibration, Notification sound lists the built-in sounds. Ours uses Brightline.

   Done

What changed: new screenshots of the audio-access question and the sound picker with its Tracks, Albums, Artists and Folders tabs.

Watch these steps

If you do not see this option

• Your song is not in the list Samsung says the file has to be saved on the phone itself, for example bought and downloaded. Tracks you play in a streaming app such as Spotify cannot be ringtones. Source: How to download or set up a custom ringtone on your Samsung phone
• The file is an M4A Samsung says its phones take MP3, WMA, AAC and FLAC files. Convert an M4A file to one of these first. Source: How to download or set up a custom ringtone on your Samsung phone

If this does not work

• Your sound is not under Notification sound Samsung says the file must be in the Notifications folder: in My Files, Audio, touch and hold the file, Copy, then Internal storage, Notifications and Copy here. Source: How to set a music file as a notification sound for apps on your Galaxy phone
• One app should sound different Samsung says to open Settings, Apps, the app, Notifications, then General notifications and Sound. Source: How to set a music file as a notification sound for apps on your Galaxy phone

About this guide

Any audio file saved on the phone can be a ringtone. For a notification sound, the file has to be in the Notifications folder first. We allowed the sound picker's access to audio on our phone and did not change the ringtone.

Good to know

A ringtone for one person: Contacts, the contact, Edit, View more, Ringtone, then Save.

For your own notification sound, Samsung says to copy the file in My Files into Internal storage, Notifications; it then appears in this list.

In short: Settings, Sounds and vibration, Ringtone, + for your own file; Notification sound for messages and apps.

📷 See real photos from the Galaxy A57 in our Camera Lab, next to 10 other phones.