WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps for iOS and Android devices. By default, WhatsApp uses the same default notification sound for all incoming messages. If you want to customize the notification sounds for WhatsApp chats and groups, so you can identify who messaged you without having to look at your phone, you can do so easily on iPhones.
Can I set custom notification sounds for WhatsApp on iPhone?
Yes, you can set custom notification sounds for individual WhatsApp chats and groups on your iPhone. This allows you to assign unique notification sounds for different WhatsApp conversations so you can identify who messaged without having to look at your phone. The process is quick and simple.
How to change WhatsApp notification sound on iPhone
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to change the default WhatsApp notification sound and set custom sounds for chats/groups on your iPhone:
- Open WhatsApp on your iPhone.
- Go to the WhatsApp Chats screen and tap on the chat or group you want to customize the notification sound for.
- Tap on the contact/group name at the top of the chat window.
- Scroll down and tap on Custom Notifications.
- Toggle the “Use custom notifications” switch on.
- Scroll down to the Sounds section.
- Tap on the default notification sound to change it.
- This will open up your iPhone’s sound picker.
- Browse through the huge library of sounds on your device.
- Select the sound you want to set as the custom notification for this WhatsApp chat or group.
- Tap on Save after selecting the sound.
That’s it! The selected sound will now play whenever you get a new message from that WhatsApp contact or group. You can follow the same steps to set a custom notification sound for all your individual WhatsApp chats and groups.
How do I add my own custom sounds?
If you want to use a sound that is not already available as an iPhone ringtone or notification sound, you can easily add any MP3 file as a custom sound:
- Get the MP3 file you want to use ready on your computer.
- Connect your iPhone to the computer.
- Open iTunes and select your iPhone.
- Go to the Tones section in your iPhone’s library.
- Drag and drop the MP3 file into the Tones library.
- Sync your iPhone to copy over the new custom tone.
- Now go to Settings > Sounds on your iPhone.
- Under Ringtone or Notification sounds, you will see your newly added custom sound.
- You can now use this sound for your WhatsApp notifications.
This allows you to use any sound file in MP3 format as a notification sound on your iPhone. You can choose funny sounds, movie dialogues, music clips, or anything else you want!
Can I set custom vibration patterns?
Along with custom notification sounds, you can also set custom vibration patterns for WhatsApp chats and groups on your iPhone.
Follow these steps:
- Open the WhatsApp chat/group you want to customize.
- Tap on the contact/group name.
- Tap on Custom Notifications and toggle it on.
- Scroll down and tap on Vibration.
- Tap on the default vibration pattern to change it.
- Tap on Create New Vibration.
- Use the graph to create your own vibration pattern.
- Tap on Save when done.
This newly created vibration pattern will now be used for notifications from that WhatsApp chat/group.
Can I set contacts-specific notification settings?
Yes, the custom notification settings you choose on WhatsApp are applied on a per-chat basis. This means you can set a custom notification sound for each individual contact and group.
For example, you can set a whistle sound for your best friend’s chat, a dog bark for your family group, and so on. The settings are contact-specific, allowing complete customization of WhatsApp notification sounds.
Can I customize notifications on WhatsApp for desktop?
Unfortunately, custom notification sounds are currently only available on the mobile apps. The WhatsApp desktop app does not have an option to change notification sounds.
You will get the default notification sound on WhatsApp Desktop. However, the mobile app allows full customization as covered in this guide.
Troubleshooting tips
Here are some troubleshooting tips if you are unable to set custom WhatsApp notification sounds on your iPhone:
- Confirm that the Custom Notifications toggle is enabled in the contact/group settings.
- Check if Do Not Disturb mode is enabled in your iPhone settings. This mutes all notifications.
- Make sure the chat/group notification settings have not been muted.
- For custom sounds, verify the MP3 was properly copied to the Tones folder.
- Restart your phone and check if the issue persists.
- Reinstall the latest version of WhatsApp if needed.
Conclusion
Setting custom WhatsApp notification sounds is easy on iPhone. Go to the chat/group settings, enable custom notifications, pick a sound, and you are done! You can also add your own MP3s as custom alert tones. Vibration patterns can be customized as well for each chat or group.
Unique notification sounds for each chat allow you to identify incoming messages without looking at your phone. Give your close contacts and priority groups distinct sounds to never miss an important WhatsApp message again!
| OS | Custom Sounds | Custom Vibrations |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| WhatsApp Desktop | No | No |
This summarizes the availability of custom WhatsApp notification settings across platforms. iPhones and Android phones provide full customization, while WhatsApp desktop only has default alerts.
So customize notification sounds and vibrations on your iPhone or Android device for personalized WhatsApp alerts! Set unique sounds for priority chats and groups to never miss an important message again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this work on Android phones too?
Yes, the process to change notification sounds is similar on Android as well. Go to WhatsApp chat settings, enable custom notifications, and select a custom sound. You can also add MP3 files as ringtones on Android.
Can I set a song as my custom notification?
Absolutely! As long as you have the song as an MP3 file, you can add it to your iPhone ringtones and set it as your custom WhatsApp notification sound.
Do custom sounds use more battery?
No, using custom notification sounds does not consume any additional battery compared to default sounds. The only factor is the length of the sound – longer audio clips will use slightly more power when played.
Can I customize WhatsApp notifications on my iPad?
Yes, the process to change WhatsApp notification sounds is the same on the iPhone and iPad. Open chat settings, enable custom notifications, and choose a unique sound to set per chat or group.
How do I set specific alert tones for Gmail?
Unfortunately, Gmail does not currently have an option to set custom notification sounds on iOS. You will need to use the default Gmail notification sound. However, apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger allow custom alert tones.
Can I use custom notification sounds on my Apple Watch?
At the moment, the Apple Watch does not support custom tones for third-party app notifications like WhatsApp. It uses the same default sound for all notifications. Only first-party app alerts like Messages can have custom tones set.
Do custom alerts work on CarPlay?
Yes, when using WhatsApp on CarPlay, any custom notification sounds and vibration patterns you have set up on iPhone will play when connected over CarPlay. It mirrors your customized alerts.
Can these steps be used to customize Facebook Messenger too?
Yes, the process for changing notification sounds is the same in Facebook Messenger too. You can go to individual Facebook chat or group settings to enable custom tones and vibrations.
What happens if I switch to an Android phone?
If you move from iPhone to Android, you will lose your previously customized tones. You’ll have to set up the custom WhatsApp sounds again on your new Android phone through the chat settings.
Do custom notifications work on WhatsApp Web?
No, WhatsApp Web does not currently support custom notification tones. It will always use the default sound for incoming web notifications. Custom sounds can only be set on the mobile apps.
Can I set custom LED light colors for WhatsApp notifications?
On Android phones that have an LED notification light, you can customize the LED color for WhatsApp notifications. Go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > WhatsApp > Notifications and choose a custom LED light color.
Which apps support custom notification sounds on iPhone?
Some popular apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Slack, Twitter, and Gmail support custom notification sounds per contact/group on iOS. The ability varies across apps – refer their settings to check.
Do I need to jailbreak my iPhone to change notification tones?
No, jailbreaking is not required to customize notification sounds on iPhone. You can easily do it through the app’s individual chat/group settings using the steps outlined above.
Summary
- Go to WhatsApp chat/group settings > Custom Notifications > Sounds to change alert tones.
- You can add your own MP3 files as custom sounds on iPhone.
- Set unique sounds for each chat/group for easy identification.
- Custom vibration patterns can also be created for each conversation.
- Notification settings are chat-specific and can be customized individually.
So customize your WhatsApp notification sounds, vibrations, and identify incoming messages without even glancing at your iPhone! Use distinct alert tones to never mix up important chats and groups again.